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2013 Ford C-Max Energi

Seyth Miersma — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 11:57:00 EST

Filed under: Minivan/Van, Hatchback, Ford, First Drives

Adding EV Capacity To Ford's Ultra-Flexible C-Max

The world of the gasoline-electric hybrid vehicle is evolving at a far more rapid pace today than it has at any other point in its 12 or so years of existence. The emergence of newer, more compact and more powerful batteries, with quickly rising expectations for fuel economy on the part of the American consumer, as well as regular spikes in gas prices have all worked to create conditions that are excellent for hybrid-car development.

To date, Toyota has been the best at surfing this ever-growing wave of hybrid demand, but in the last year, Ford's plan to offer the most fuel efficient product in every market segment has started to bear fruit. From comparatively frugal turbocharged V6 power in its pickup trucks and utilities, all the way to fully electric vehicles, the current and pending line of Ford vehicles hopes to set economy standards for the rest of the industry. The C-Max, Ford's tall, narrow and capacious ode to European people movers is, perhaps, the most apt at carrying forward the message of the brand's new found fuel-frugalness, with both a hybrid model and this new plug-in hybrid, the C-Max Energi.

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2013 Ford C-Max Energi originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 15 Nov 2012 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford C-Max Hybrid officially gets 47 mpg across the board; Energi hits 85 mph in EV mode

Sebastian Blanco — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 13:45:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Minivan/Van, Ford, Electric

Two new announcements about Ford and its upcoming C-Max line of vehicles arrived today, emphasizing the vehicles' efficiency and electric performance.

For the C-Max Hybrid, the previously predicted miles per gallon rating of 47 mpg is now official, per the EPA, and will apply across the board. That means city, highway and combined mileage ratings are all 47. As anyone Ford can reach with a PR blast knows, this beats at least one of the mpg numbers for the Toyota Prius V by seven mpg. The world's most popular hybrid lineup, in V guise, gets 44 mpg in the city, 40 on the highway and 42 combined. The standard Prius Liftback version, of course, gets 51 city, 48 highway and 50 combined.

More interesting, perhaps, is the news that the plug-in Energi model will be able to go up to 85 miles per hour in all-electric mode. Once again, Ford is hammering the Prius comparison, saying that speed is "more than 20 mph higher than Toyota Prius plug-in." The C-Max Hybrid can go up to 62 miles an hour in EV mode.

To engage EV mode in the C-Max Energi, Ford uses a "unique EV mode button allows customers to deliver electric power on-demand." We're not sure what makes it unique (other plug-ins have powertrain mode selector buttons), but it does have three modes: EV Now (where the car is only moved by battery power, as long as it's available), EV Auto (normal operation, with both battery and gas engine used for propulsion) or EV Later, a "battery-saving mode that reserves the pack power for later use." (Think of the Chevrolet Volt mountain mode.) The Energi goes on sale in limited areas this fall and nationwide in early 2013.

Oh, Ford also says, "With a fully charged battery, C-MAX Energi is rated at 195 horsepower, versus 188 horsepower for Toyota Prius." It's pretty clear which competitors Ford is going after here, isn't it?

Continue reading Ford C-Max Hybrid officially gets 47 mpg across the board; Energi hits 85 mph in EV mode

Ford C-Max Hybrid officially gets 47 mpg across the board; Energi hits 85 mph in EV mode originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 07 Aug 2012 13:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2013 Ford C-Max Energi and C-Max Hybrid offer two options for fuel-sipping MPVs

Steven J. Ewing — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 00:01:00 EST

Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Hybrid, Minivan/Van, Ford, Electric

Ford C-Max Energi - Click above for high-res image gallery

We've already told you about the 2012 Ford C-Max, the Blue Oval's new mini-minivan that's set to launch here in North America later this year. The C-Max story doesn't end with just the one gasoline-powered model, though - Ford is bringing two more versions of its small people mover to the 2011 Detroit Auto Show: the C-Max Energi and C-Max Hybrid.

What's important to note is that while the gasoline C-Max with sliding doors is actually based on the three-row Grand C-Max that Ford sells in other markets, the Hybrid and Energi use conventional front-hinged rear doors and seat five, just like the shorter-wheelbase C-Max available in Europe. The automaker's kinetic design language is in full force here, and the Aston Martin-like grille on these smaller C-Max models resembles what first debuted on Ford's Focus Electric at last week's Consumer Electronics Show.

The C-Max Hybrid uses the Blue Oval's next-generation gasoline/electric powertrain technology, and we're told that fuel economy will be higher than the 41 miles per gallon that's currently on tap in the Fusion Hybrid sedan. By building upon the powersplit technology currently used in the automaker's hybrids, Ford says that the C-Max Hybrid will be able to operate in electric mode at speeds higher than 47 miles per hour.

The big story here, however, is the C-Max Energi, which is essentially a range-extended plug-in hybrid that's not completely unlike the Chevrolet Volt. Ford is targeting an overall driving range of more than 500 miles using both the battery-backed motor and Atkinson-cycle engine, and much like the Focus Electric, the automaker's new MyFord Mobile software will allow users to monitor the C-Max Energi's charging state while on the go.

Both the C-Max Hybrid and Energi will be built alongside the standard C-Max at Ford's Michigan Assembly Plant starting in 2012, with European models being built in Valencia, Spain starting in 2013. Follow the jump for the full details in Ford's press release, and check out each version of the new C-Max in our high-res galleries below.

Gallery: 2013 Ford C-Max Energi

Gallery: 2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid

[Source: Ford]

Continue reading 2013 Ford C-Max Energi and C-Max Hybrid offer two options for fuel-sipping MPVs

2013 Ford C-Max Energi and C-Max Hybrid offer two options for fuel-sipping MPVs originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 10 Jan 2011 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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