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Originally Posted by oldtamiyaphile
I too went with the first example that came to mind. I don't know that Mercedes built the hybrid to improve performance, it's improved acceleration comes from having an extra motor to power it along, given the same ICE, it's impossible for it not to outperform the ICE only version. I maintain that it's the most valid comparison posted so far, same engine, same ECO tyres and aero tweaks etc. If you can find something as close, post it.
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That's the point though; it's the
same engine. Hybrid, at least in strong form, allows a downsized engine that can be loaded harder, operating at higher BSFC, while maintaining similar performance to the comparable larger engine when the electric motor is used.
Another way to view hybrid is as power averaging. The average power requirement for a vehicle, including idle where the only power requirement is for HVAC, in car entertainment and maybe lighting, is much lower than the peak power requirement - acceleration, climbing hills etc. With hybrid the engine can be sized to more closely match the average power to its most efficient power.
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We don't get the Fusion, but you're comparing two very different engines. Small capacity turbos are not known for economy.
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Maybe. An alternative to hybrid, with less effect, is to use a smaller engine, with forced induction for when high power is wanted.
One example is in the Australian Ford Falcon where a 2.0l turbo (same engine family as the Fusion I think) was offered as an alternative to a 4.0l engine. The performance was all but identical, with a significant fuel economy benefit.