2010 Fusion Hybrid Sales Soar

By: Susan Harris
Staff Writer
Published: Oct 14, 2009

2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid Sales Rise To New Levels

Ford Motor Company released its year-to-date sales report for September that revealed a rise in sales for its Ford Fusion automobile. The Ford Fusion was released earlier this year and has shown a steady increase in sales ever since. Moreover, the total number of hybrid sales is up by 73 percent, in comparison to the same period last year. The automaker also announced that about 60 percent of Ford Fusion sales were from non-Ford owners.

"Hybrid customers increasingly are considering Ford," Ford's marketing manager, David Finnegan, said in a statement. "More than 60 percent of Fusion Hybrid sales have been from non-Ford owners, and more than half of those are customers coming from import brands, mostly from Toyota and Honda," Finnegan added.

The auto industry was hurt the most last year due to the economic recession. However, the recent sales report could indicate that the economy is slowly recovering. Automakers are in a race to meet higher fuel-efficient demands for new vehicles as some financial analysts forecast a rise in oil prices.

If more than half of the Ford sales are from other automakers, including Toyota and Honda, it will be interesting to see their sales reports as well. New car incentives, including the government's Cash for Clunkers program, helped drive vehicle sales to new levels not seen since early last year. Most consumers are convinced that new fuel-efficient cars will not only save them money at the pump, but will eventually reduce our dependency for foreign oil.

Ford Fusion is a midsize car that is priced around $27,000. In fact, Ford's latest TV campaign promoted it as the most fuel-efficient midsize hybrid car, and it still is. The automobile can achieve up to 41 miles per gallon. The vehicle can also be powered by its electric motor at speeds up to 47 MPH (miles per hour). While powered by its electric motor, the gas engine is automatically turned off to save gas.

The car is designed to travel more than 700 miles on a single tank of gas. However, new driving techniques can be used to increase the mileage, that include slower acceleration and braking. Last April, Ford took the Fusion on a road trip and achieved more than 1,440 miles on a single tank of gas. The automaker proved that the car is more than capable of doubling its mileage to 80 MPG by using the new driving techniques.