AC vs electric mode

I read an article (http://www.edmunds.com/ford/fusionhybrid/2010/review.html) that the FFH can remain in full electric mode even with the A/C on. Is that true? Assuming careful acceleration and other 'hybrid aware' driving tactics, could one expect to be able to drive 20 miles in city traffic with the A/C on and remain full electric? Or is it mostly a given that if the A/C is on, the gas engine is going to run?

It will run in EV mode with the A/C on but not very long. It'll drain the battery and the engine will have to kick on to recharge. It's my wife's car so I don't drive it too often but it takes some getting used to babying the pedal to keep it in EV.

Any rough estimate as to how long is 'not long', in terms of either city miles or 'minutes'? When the gas engine does come back on, how long until it recharges the battery and I can get back to EV mode?

I'm just trying to get some realistic expectations of how the FFH would behave with my typical commute. I have a 100mile daily commute, 60% interstate, other is city traffic where I can stay below 40-47.

AC is electric, so it drains your battery faster. Without the AC on, you can usually go 1/2 mile, it's less with it on. I lose about 3 - 4 mpg with the AC running steady.

The driver gets pretty good window ventilation by lowering the passenger side 2 - 4 inches front and a little more in back. This allows less use of AC. If it is necessary to keep the windows closed, I turn the AC on and off with the push button switch, more downhill and less uphill.

If you keep the speed below 42 it works quite well to set the cruise control and let the battery charge up. Sometimes I "suggest" that it switch to battery mode by pressing momentarily the " - " (decelerate) button on the cruise. Right at 45 it has indecision, gets a bit choppy switching in and out of EV mode.

The AC will run with the engine off, if the battery is charged.

I'll have to wait til winter to turn off the AC here in Florida

I need the AC, even though I know it is hurting the MPG. My Fusion doesn't run in electric mode much, maybe because I usually have the AC on! I have no issues of it switching back and forth between electric and gas, it does the sequencing nice and smooth. I'm averaging 39, which is a good mix of highway & city. The electric only runs when decelerating, and at stop lights, but that all adds into helping the MPG.