What They Are:
Ford builds world-class hybrid systems, as evidenced in the Fusion Hybrid sedan which gets 41 mpg and can travel as fast as 47 mph on battery juice alone. Ford is also launching an electric car with the 2012 Focus Electric, designed to charge fast, meet the daily range demands of most drivers, and remain fun to drive. Now, Ford unveils the 2013 C-Max Hybrid and C-Max Energi, each designed to provide roomy accommodations for five passengers combined with lots of utility and cargo space.
What’s New for the 2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid:
- Third-Generation Hybrid System – The 2013 C-Max Hybrid employs lithium ion batteries instead of the nickel metal hydride batteries common in today’s hybrid vehicles. Smaller and lighter, lithium ion batteries are easier to package into a vehicle and can be tuned to deliver more power or greater range.
- Better MPG Than Fusion Hybrid – Ford says that the C-Max Hybrid will get better fuel economy than the Fusion Hybrid, which the company claims is the most fuel-efficient sedan in America. That means the roomy C-Max Hybrid will achieve greater than 41 mpg in the city and 36 mpg on the highway.
- Goes Faster and Farther on Electricity – Ford’s third-generation hybrid technology is engineered to exceed the Fusion Hybrid’s ability to go 47 mph on the battery juice alone, which means that with judicious throttle application, a light passenger and cargo load, and level topography, the C-Max Hybrid could operate primarily like an electric car in flatlander cities and suburbs.
- MyFord Touch – The C-Max Hybrid will be equipped with the new MyFord Touch information, communication and entertainment system. In this application, the system will include the familiar leafy green vine from the current Fusion Hybrid, which shows more green leaves the more economically the vehicle is driven.
- Brake Coaching – Since the C-Max Hybrid (and the C-Max Energi) are equipped with regenerative braking systems designed to capture energy and recharge the battery packs, Ford is introducing a new Brake Coach feature that will help drivers maximize recharging potential while minimizing brake wear.
What’s New for the 2013 Ford C-Max Energi:
- Takes the C-Max Hybrid to the Next Level – The 2013 Ford C-Max Energi is a plug-in hybrid variant of the new C-Max Hybrid. With the C-Max Energi, owners can operate solely on electric power until the compact, high-voltage, lithium ion battery pack is depleted. At that point, an Atkinson-cycle gasoline engine kicks in to provide power until the car can be recharged using a standard 120-volt household outlet.
- 500-Mile Range – Ford says the C-Max Energi can travel a total of 500 miles before it needs recharging or a new tank of gas, and that it provides better charge-sustaining fuel economy than the Chevrolet Volt. Details regarding the car’s pure electric range were not provided, but since Americans drive an average of 41.1 miles daily, it is possible that an owner with predictable driving habits could burn less than a tank of gas every year while racking up 15,000 miles on the odometer.
- Recharges Overnight – Using a standard household 120-volt outlet, the C-Max Energi can be completely recharged overnight. The car’s charge port, located between the driver’s door and the front wheel, includes a ring with four quadrants that represent charge status in 25 percent increments. For example, if three quadrants are glowing and the final one is flashing, that means the C-Max Energi is between 75 and 100 percent charged.
- Value Charging – Powered by Microsoft, the C-Max Energi’s value charging capability allows the vehicle to be programmed to charge during off-peak hours and benefit from reduced electricity rates, reducing the vehicle’s cost of ownership even more.
- MyFord Touch – Like the C-Max Hybrid, the C-Max Energi is equipped with Ford’s new MyTouch information, communication, and entertainment system. In this application, MyFord Touch includes unique features such as determining the most eco-friendly route that will preserve battery charge, and new MyView deep-dive data pertaining to the car’s electric propulsion system, including an ability to see how the operation of on-board features such as the air conditioning are affecting the remaining battery charge.
- MyFord Mobile – This smartphone application and secure website provide the C-Max Energi’s owner with information about the car’s state of charge, the ability to remotely start and operate the door locks, and to locate the vehicle via GPS. Owners can also “pre-condition” the C-Max Energi using MyFord Mobile. This means that electricity from the grid can be used to heat or cool the car’s battery pack and interior prior to unplugging and whirring down the road on frosty winter or muggy summer days. MyFord Mobile can also find the nearest battery charging point and send it to the C-Max Energi’s Sync Traffic, Directions and Information service. Audible turn-by-turn navigation can then direct the driver to the programmed electrical outlet.
The Vehix View:
When we learned about the 2012 Ford Focus Electric, which can’t go any further than its battery pack will allow it to, we wondered why Ford didn’t take the same route as Chevrolet did with its Volt range-extended electric vehicle. Now we know. With the introduction of the C-Max Energi, Ford is effectively selling a Volt competitor in addition to its Focus Electric, which will go up against the Nissan Leaf. And for people who want to maximize fuel economy and minimize emissions without resorting to plugging into the nation’s electrical grid every night, the C-Max Hybrid is shaping up to be a smart choice. Now, the only question that remains is whether buyers of these types of vehicles prefer something that looks completely different from everything else on the road (like the Volt and Leaf) or if the anonymity of these look-alike Ford products suits them just fine.
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