Disclosure: The Ford Fusion Energi Plug-in Hybrid featured here was provided to me for a week compliments of Ford!

Mother, Daughter time during the summer is a tradition.  BlogHer14 in Northern California was in the agenda this year and so was FORD! A gorgeous Blue Ford Fusion Energi Plug-in Hybrid car to be exact!  We drove the Ford Fusion Energi to San Jose from SanFran and after the conference headed back to tour San Francisco, Sacramento and Lake Tahoe! It was great to experience the smooth powerful ride and overcaming the initial shock of the car being turned on without me knowing it! The remote keyless system “priceless”! A great “stress-free” feature. Searching for my keys was something less to worry about, since we already had the luggage and swag to deal with!

The 2014 Ford Fusion Energi is Ford’s newest plug-in hybrid and differentiates itself from the competition in many ways. It can go twenty-one miles on electric alone, and when you use your gas power, the electric batteries recharge while driving. The EPA-estimated fuel economy ratings are 108 MGBe city, 92 MPGe highway and 100 MPGe combined. They are also estimating an average fuel savings of $6,850 over the course of five years. WHAT??? Yes!

Facts

• Capable of hitting a top speed of up to 85 mph in electric-only

• Inflatable rear seat belts are now available on both Fusion Energi trim levels – SE Luxury and Titanium

• Two new exterior colors, Dark Side and Sunset, replace Ginger Ale and Bordeaux Reserve

• Charged through a port conveniently located on the driver’s side. When plugged in and charging, a light ring illuminates and makes it easy to determine how much power the vehicle’s battery contains

California Residents Qualify $5,000 in electric vehicle rebates

The Ford Fusion Energi is impressive, smooth power. When starting with a full tank of gas and fully charged battery the EPA-estimated range is 620 miles! In case you missed that, we are talking about driving 620 miles on fourteen gallons of gas and one full charge! This is the equivalent of driving from Orlando to the Keys and back home again without stopping for gas or a charge! After my seven day tour of California I only used $15-$20 worth of fuel (at California prices to boot)! Are you impressed yet? Even more impressed, when I learned that California residents who  purchase or lease hybrid cars, are eligible for a Rebate! Administered by the CSE for the California Air Resources Board, the Clean Vehicle Rebate Project (CVRP) offers up to $5,000 in electric vehicle rebates.

Saving Energy

 There are several ways this beauty saves energy. One of those ways is through its Regenerative Braking System. This system recovers more than 90 percent of the energy used during breaking and sends it back to the battery for later use. So, each time you stop at a red light or use the break to slow for a turn, you are sending valuable energy back to the car!

MyFord Mobile App

Now, how cool is it, that you can monitor the Ford Fusion Energi from your smartphone! With the MyFord Mobil you can do just that! The subscription is complimentary for the first five years, after that, subscription fees do apply. With the smart phone application, owners/drivers can monitor charging, receive alerts, find charging stations, plan trips, locate their vehicle when they are not in it, monitor CO2 emissions, how much you save on gas, start remote vehicle preconditioning, use grid power to heat or cool the vehicle interior, program charging with utility input, allow the car to charge when it’s most convenient or when electricity prices are lowest, remotely lock/unlock doors, remote start. Charging stations are all over California, something I haven’t seen much in Florida yet.

The Ford Fusion Energi’s lavish interior makes your driving experience a “luxury ride”. The heated steering wheel really made this Florida Mamacita feel more at home when driving in chilly Northern California, cause believe it or not, it was cold in San Francisco! Thanks to our cool Skype windbreaker jackets (Blogher swag!), we rode it off!

My daughter enjoyed playing with the SYNC with MyFord Touch features, it is hands free with voice command. Browse music using voice commands, pull music from your phone by saying “Bluetooth audio”, enjoy audible text messaging, voice or touch climate control, and 911 assist will call 911 for you when you can’t (don’t worry, we didn’t need to try that out).

Trunk Space

My only let down with the Ford Fusion Energi is the the trunk space, its very limited due to the . I think the trunk may be sufficient for daily activities, but for our travels. We don’t travel light especially when returning from a conference with all the goodies and swag! We had to place most of the luggage in the back seat.

Driving a an electric/hybrid car has been a wonderful experience for me. Those who have never experienced one before will be pleasantly surprised at the power hidden within the quiet. There are still so many features on/with the Ford Fusion Energi that I haven’t explored. I can’t wait to get back in it again on my next car trip!

Conclusion

If you’ re in the market for a crossover to a hybrid, then the Ford Energi Hybrid car may be the perfect choice for you! Smooth power, save LOTS of money on gas, keyless system, and California residents, you get HOV lane access! In May, I had the opportunity to drive the Ford C-Max, also a plug-in hybrid, and the difference I see between Ford Fusion Energi, is that it is a more stylish, larger sedan and the price is higher.  The Ford C-Max hybrid is cheaper in price and a station wagon.

Visit the Ford website, follow Ford on Facebook and follow @Fordlocal on twitter to stay up to date with their latest news.

Special thanks to Ford for allowing me to test drive the Ford Fusion Energi Plug-in hybrid – luxury at its best!

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