Ford drivers plugging in

Usage patterns revealed by aggregate data from the MyFord’s smartphone app show that consumers are using plug-in hybrids vehicles (PHEVs) for short, all-electric trips on weekdays and extended-range rides on weekends.

In August, the US giant reported that aggregate data harvested from the mobile app showed a total 60 per cent of driving took place in all-electric mode.

Now, additional data shows Ford PHEV drivers put in more than 8400 miles (13,518km) an hour in all-electric drive – that is, without running the range extender engine. That amounts to about 203,000 all-electric miles (326,800km), or about eight equatorial circumferences of the earth – every day.

And that’s PHEVs only, excluding all-electric models like the Fusion (aka Mondeo) Energi sedan, the mid-size C-MAX Energi people-mover and the slower selling Focus Electric.

Ford has said before that the data isn’t perfectly representative of the Energi fleet, because not all buyers make use of the app. It does, however, collect data from the majority of a fleet less than a year old and totalling 8500 cars.

The C-MAX Energi was launched for sale in the US in October 2012. Official figures put cumulative sales at 5910 units in August 2013. The Fusion Energi, released in February 2013, had recorded total sales of 2591 by August.

Collective driving patterns emerging through the data show that as drivers familiarise themselves with PHEV drivetrains, the proportion of time spent in all-electric mode increases.

Over the first six months of ownership, the number of all-electric trips rises by almost half, up from 20 to 30 per cent of total trips taken.

Ford attributes this to a combination of improvement in driving habits and rapid growth in charging infrastructure, particularly workplace charge stations.

The feedback through the app gives Ford’s product planners a clear real-world picture of how owners and drivers are using the vehicles, the company said in a statement.

It showed that the Energi fleet averages 6.3 charges per vehicle per week, with an average of four trips between charges. Of total one-way trips, 83 per cent cover 20 miles (32km) or less.

The data suggests that PHEVs are bearing out manufacturer hopes in allaying consumer range anxiety, by being used in electric-only mode for multiple short weekday trips, with the range-extender engine showing up for longer trips on weekends, said Mike Tinskey, Ford’s Global Director of Vehicle Electrification and Infrastructure.

“It confirms for us that coupling the right infrastructure with the right product can lead to a strong, positive impact on the planet.”

The MyFord app represents a win-win for all stakeholders, not least for Ford.

“[The aggregate data] takes the guesswork out of trying to figure out what we need to do when it comes to making adjustments and continuing to improve,” Tinskey said. “Ford is not being forced to use projections because the company has real customer data to rely on and use for guidance.”

At this stage Ford Australia has no plans to introduce any electrified models locally.

Read the latest news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at carsales' mobile site...

Don't forget to register to comment on this article.