Ford has dropped a hint pointing to the 2017 Fusion Energi’s unveiling at the Detroit auto show.
The company has published an image of a veiled mystery vehicle with a charging cord attached. The photo accompanied an announcement focusing on global research-and-development efforts for battery technology.
The car’s shrouded form appears to resemble spy shots of the 2017 Fusion, while the cord suggests it is the Energi hybrid model.
As for the announcement, Ford detailed plans to expand battery research to Europe and Asia. Scientists and engineers will collaborate globally via a “hub and spoke” network centered in Michigan.
The company has hired more than 120 vehicle engineers to join its Electrified Powertrain Engineering program in Dearborn. The team has been moved to its own facility, known as the Ford Engineering Laboratory, which will direct research at global sites located in China, England, Germany and the US.
Ford’s engineers are said to be taking advantage of a “Hardware-in-the-loop” (HIL) hardware and software system that allows battery innovations to be put through a range of trials that simulate punishing real-world environments across the globe.
The announcement did not include any direct reference to the Fusion Energi hybrid, though more details will likely be disclosed ahead of the Detroit debut.
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