Ford will equip its 2013 Fusion hybrid with active noise-cancellation technology, says a company press release. The company has tuned the gasoline engine more efficiently in rpm ranges which otherwise produces unpleasant sound, says Ford. The automaker says that the technology allowed Ford engineers to tune the car for more fuel-efficient operation– the vehicle has received an EPA-certified 47mpg in city, highway and combined fuel economy rating. “The Fusion Hybrid leverages this advanced technology to help deliver maximum fuel economy for the customer. Reduced powertrain noise in the passenger compartment becomes the icing on the cake,” said Takeshi Abe, a Henry Ford Technical Fellow for NVH (Noise, Vibration and Harshness).
The Fusion hybrid has three microphones mounted in its interior headliner, two microphones over the first row of seats and one over the rear seats. The company says that these microphones measure engine noise and sends a signal to the electronic active noise-cancellation control module which instantly and continuously generates opposing sound waves. The reversed wave is directed through the Fusion Hybrid’s audio system, combining with the original engine noise wave to cancel out any potentially objectionable sound.
