We hear so much about the Prius and the Chevy Volt that it appears the Ford Fusion Hybrid is coming out of nowhere. But it has been in development for years, and it may be the best hybrid for the money in 2010:

A Detroit Hybrid That Hums

And:

The Fusion Hybrid has a number of advantages:
1) 41 MPG City (a lot more using hypermiling techniques)
2) It’s a mid-size sedan – reasonably holds 4 adults
3) 700 mile range per fill-up
4) 47 MPH in electric-only mode
5) Reasonable price

The car also says something about Detroit:

What message does this Detroit-bred standout send us about the beleaguered American auto industry — you know, the one that reportedly can’t build high-mileage cars, the one that supposedly can’t compete with foreigners or take a lead in high technology, the one whose hybrids are routinely dismissed as years behind Honda’s and Toyota’s?

Perhaps the Fusion Hybrid suggests that Ford, the only Detroit automaker to decline a government handout, really can deliver the advanced fuel-saving technology that it has been promising for years.

This is a “full hybrid” system, where the car can run off the electric motor only, the gas engine only or both combined. The gas engine is a 2.5 liter 4-cylinder 155 HP unit.The electric motor can produce up to 36 horespower – Giving the car 191 horsepower max. The battery is a 275-volt NiMH unit but it only holds about 1.4 kilowatt-hours, meaning the car can only go a mile on battery power alone (the electric motor can consume up to 75 kilowatts).