Ford Offers Electric Vehicle Owners a Guide to Polite Plug-Ins

WATERTOWN, MASS. (10/01/2012)(readMedia)-- While most people have mastered the task of filling up at the gas pump, charging an electric vehicle is a new process that can lead to some ambiguities when it comes to driver etiquette. Thankfully, Ford has set out to clarify the dos and don'ts of charging stations with a playful new video and downloadable reference guide.

With five of its new electrified models coming out this year, including the recently launched C-MAX Hybrid and upcoming C-MAX Energi plug-in hybrid, Ford provides helpful charging advice in its new resources, such as making sure the cord from the charging station isn't placed in a way that others could trip over. Other thoughtful tips include giving all-electric vehicles priority over plug-in hybrids and making sure to never unplug another electric car unless you are positive it's fully charged.

"Most electric vehicle owners are probably very considerate, but there's room for some oversights as drivers get used to working with others at charging stations, and Ford wants to help make the process as streamlined as possible," said Peter King, general manager of Watertown Ford, a Greater Boston Ford dealership. "Ford's new electric and plug-in hybrid cars make communication even easier by showing how much juice they have with an LED indicator light circling the charging port, so our customers should have a very short learning curve."

Though it won't require stops at the charging station, the all-new 2013 Fusion Hybrid will use its gas-electric drivetrain to become America's most fuel-efficient sedan when it goes on sale this fall, returning 47 mpg in city, highway and combined ratings. Even with that impressive efficiency, the Fusion Hybrid will still output a healthy 188 horsepower from its 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine and new electric motor.

Playing off the new Fusion Hybrid's EPA fuel-economy ratings, Ford has launched The 47 Day Challenge sweepstakes as part of its Random Acts of Fusion transmedia campaign, inviting consumers to participate in 47 simple challenges over 47 days for chances to win one of three all-new 2013 Fusions. Interested participants can visit www.randomactsoffusion.com/47days and join a daily photo challenge that asks for pictures of specified objects shaped into a 47. The contest runs through Nov. 4, and each day that a person submits a photo gives him or her another entry into the Fusion drawing.

Despite the Fusion Hybrid's leading gas mileage, buyers that want to conserve as much fuel as possible may instead want to wait until early next year, when the 2013 Fusion Energi plug-in hybrid goes on sale. Expected to net more than 100 MPGe (miles per gallon equivalent), the Fusion Energi will combine a gas engine and electric motor with a high-voltage lithium-ion battery that can be recharged through either a 120-volt outlet or a 240-volt outlet with upgraded equipment.

"The Fusion Energi should get a lot of looks at the charging station when it first comes out, because the sedan's aggressive styling makes it look like anything but your typical electric vehicle," King noted. "Its owners won't feel the same range anxiety that many EV drivers feel either, since the Fusion Energi can work in traditional hybrid mode once its battery is depleted."

About Watertown Ford:

Watertown Ford is where Greater Boston Ford lovers head for the best deals on new and used Fords. No other Massachusetts Ford dealer has the same dedication to the customer, and that dedication has earned Watertown Ford the loyalty of Ford owners all over the state. Their new and used Ford inventory can be viewed online at www.watertownford.com, and interested customers can visit their showroom at 625 Pleasant St. in Watertown, Massachusetts. They can also be found on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MyWatertownFord and reached by phone at 800-584-6486.