Ford Fusion Energi at the FAIR

You never know who you’ll encounter at the MOTHER EARTH NEWS FAIRS, nor what ordinary thing they’ll be doing. It might be actor and activist Ed Begley, Jr., picking up a bit of trash and tossing it into a recycling bin, or it could be renowned gardening author Barbara Damrosch hurrying through the exhibit hall on her way to a book signing. Or perhaps you’ll spy Bob Moore smiling behind the wheel of a Ford Fusion Energi.

His surname may not be familiar, but you’ll certainly recognize Bob Moore’s face from countless packages of Bob’s Red Mill flours, grains, cereals and mixes. Moore’s respected company produces thousands of healthy products on a daily basis.

At the 2013 FAIR in Puyallup, Wash., Moore eagerly explored the fuel-efficient vehicles offered for test drives by the Ford Motor Company. He passed from all-electric to hybrid to plug-in hybrid to EcoBoost before settling into the driver’s seat of the Ford Fusion Energi, where he happily compared its features to his own Ford at home. A man with a strong interest in electronics dating from his youth, Moore found the Energi’s dashboard irresistible.

Many visitors to the Puyallup FAIR who test-drove the Ford cars had more than a passing interest in alternative vehicles, according to staffers working the Ford Go Further display. Hundreds of fair-goers took a Ford for a test drive at Puyallup, and for most of them it wasn’t the first time they’d driven one of these fuel-efficient cars. Puyallup FAIR visitors brought with them a basic knowledge of hybrid and electric technologies that bumped their test drives to a higher, richer level. Visitors were knowledgeable, positive and confident about the technology, and the Ford staff was eager to help them do some true comparison shopping. The FAIRS are wonderful venues for trying new products and services.