2013 Ford C-Max Energi Plug-In Hybrid: First Drive
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The 2013 Ford C-Max Energi is the first plug-in hybrid from Ford to hit the road, and the company sold 144 of them in October even before letting journalists drive the car.
It’s the pricier and more capable of the two C-Max models, and Ford compares it directly to the Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid.
That car, which went on sale in February this year, has quickly become the second best-selling plug-in vehicle in the U.S.
More e-range than Hybrid
So how does the plug-in C-Max drive? Very much like the conventional C-Max.
That is to say, the C-Max Energi is a heavy, deliberate, five-door hatchback with an attractive and upscale interior, decent handling, good sound suppression, and considerably more power than the Prius lineup.
Those characteristics are all shared with the conventional C-Max Hybrid.
But the Energi model adds up to 21 miles of electric range from its much larger 7.6-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack, according to its EPA rating--which carries the following footnote:
"This vehicle did not use any gasoline for the first 21 miles in EPA tests. However, depending on how you drive the vehicle, you may use both gasoline and electricity during the first 21 miles following a full charge."
The plug-in Prius, on the other hand, managed only 6 continuous miles in its EPA test before switching on the engine, though it covered 11 miles altogether on electricity.
Going uphill electrically
During an 80-mile test drive around the San Francisco Bay Area, the plug-in C-Max proved to be far more capable in its all-electric mode than the plug-in Prius.
In its “EV Now” mode, drivers can use the C-Max Energi entirely as an electric car. Ford says it will travel in all-electric mode up to 85 mph (compared to 62 mph for the C-Max Hybrid).
And, notably, Ford vehicle executive John Davis referred to the ability to travel electrically at high speeds by saying the company had learned that, “Customers want this.”
You won’t get anything near the EPA electric range of 21 miles if you’re traveling at freeway speeds, of course. But the C-Max Energi capably, if not briskly, accelerated up a few of San Francisco’s famous hills without kicking on its gasoline engine.
Use it as an electric car
That stands in sharp contrast to the Prius Plug-In Hybrid, which sometimes seems to switch on the gasoline engine if the driver breathes too hard.
It’s much easier to keep the C-Max Energi in electric mode, aided by the power gauge, which shows how close a driver is getting to reaching the limit of the electric motor’s available power.
In other words, the C-Max Energi can practically be used as an all-electric car for distances up to 20 miles—especially if those distances are covered at speeds of 40 mph or below, before aerodynamic drag starts to take its toll.
The Energi C-Max isn’t particularly swift in its all-electric mode—the traction motor has a peak output of 88 kilowatts (118 hp), against a combined engine-motor output of 195 hp, or 54 hp more than the Prius powertrain—but it won’t embarrass itself in traffic.
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Have an opinion?
1) How much does it cost and what is the Fed rebate?
2) Much load bay space is lost to the battery.
3) That 62.8 mpg should be 62.8 mpgBS as in, it is not actually measured on the normal mpg scale but some other scale that has no meaning.
Thanks
John C. Briggs
As for the 62.8mpgBS issue, I don't think this is clear enough for the average reader. These numbers are almost completely without meaning and frankly should be either avoided for very clearly labeled.
The base C-Max Energi stickers at $33,745, while the plug-in Prius base model lists at $32,710. That means that Ford can claim a “net price” that’s $400 lower for the base versions of both vehicles.
$33,745 (C-Max Energi base price) - $3,750 (Fed. tax credit for EVs) = $29,995
$32,710 (Prius plug-in base) - $2,500 (lower fed. tax credit) = $30,210
$30,210 - $29,995 = $215.
$400 difference? Am I missing something?
[hangs head in shame at lack of early-morning basic math skills]
http://www.greenhybrid.com/discuss/f26/battery-cooling-fan-failure-warranty-not-24766/
I blame the repair people and dealers for not properly researching.
Does the Volt not count for some reason?
I wonder how many people are willing to trade more space/lower price for less EV range...
I have two additional question on the Energi,
1) Does it have electric heat? Or does the ICE come on during the EV now mode when you crank up the heat?
2) What is its "performance" comparing to the Volt in acceleration?
And I suspect this is confirmed by the fact that nowhere in any of their material is the charger specified--and they'd likely have said so if they were using the 6.6-kW charger from the Focus Electric.
(1) Yes, it has electric resistance heat of some sort (didn't have time to get full details) and also heated seats. I don't believe the engine comes on when you switch on the heat, though to be honest, I didn't check.
(2) Don't have an answer for that one: We weren't able to do proper timed acceleration tests or side-by-side comparisons. The only comparison car at the Ford event was a Prius Plug-In (not too surprisingly).
That is interesting. Ford really sneaked the C-Max Energi right between the Volt and Prius Plugin.
It has worse MPG than Prius plugin and less EV range than the Volt, but it is cheaper than both.
Or according to Ford Marketing, it has slight better MPG than the Volt, more space than the Volt, but also far more useable EV range than the Prius plugin.
I guess it all depends on how you look at it.
http://www.caranddriver.com/news/2013-ford-c-max-energi-first-drive-review
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/phevtech.shtml
Different Kinds of PHEVs
There are two basic PHEV configurations:
Series PHEVs, also called Extended Range Electric Vehicles (EREVs). Only the electric motor turns the wheels; the gasoline engine is only used to generate electricity. Series PHEVs can run solely on electricity until the battery needs to be recharged. The gasoline engine will then generate the electricity needed to power the electric motor. For shorter trips, these vehicles might use no gasoline at all.
Parallel or Blended PHEVs. Both the engine and electric motor are mechanically connected to the wheels..
Calling them PHEV is just too generic... Sure, if you consider "hybrid" as "anything" with two power source. Then just about every ICE can be called hybrids since it has an alternator and starter and it certainly can launch the car for few feet with its 12V starter battery.
One is powered primarily by gasoline engine, the other is primarily by electric motor. Big difference.
MrEnergyCzar
Prius plugins get better MPG b/c it is significantly lighter than the other two. It is also significantly "degraded" in terms of performance to achieve those MPG numbers. wimpy tires, weaker suspension and worse accerlation all help MPG but it doesn't help performance.
If Prius had added the battery pack size as Energi, it would be about 10% heavier, that will translate into a 8-10% MPG loss. That would degrade it down to 45 MPG. Along with a larger tires and more powerful engine to power the extra weight, it would have degrade the MPG down to 40-43 MPG range, just like the C-Max Energi.
Everything is about trade off in the closely competitive auto market.
I am trying to read in between the lines. I think this review is giving Ford C-Max Energi a favor. The test was performed in October-November in San Francisco area, when the average temperatures are 63-69F. I presume the reviewer did not have to run neither A/C, nor heating. In contrast, Mitsubishi i was tested at 90F with A/C and was criticized shorter of EPA range. I am not sure about the conditions for testing plug-in Prius, that is compared unfavorably with C-Max Energi but one should not be biased on the basis of country of the vehicle manufacturing and "liking or disliking" the vehicle size. No comment was made on the cargo area (unless it is buried in the comments section).
I hope GCR makes some efforts to reflect the "real world" true MPG with all those "plug in" EREV/PHEV reviews. If they can, review the EV range with each and every EREV/PHEV and then reiview them again with "extended" or "gas mode". People care to know the "real" MPG in those modes. Auto makers are certainly using it to market to people. It might be hard to do that with Prius Plugin, but with Volt and C-Max Energi, it can certainly do that.
Last time I looked at the door sticker on mine it said "Built with pride in the USA"
That is unless you don't consider the volt a plug in hybrid.
Since it has both electric drive and a gas engine, it most certainly is a hybrid. Just a much better design than any of the others, as it operates as full on electric, and can operate as a series, and a parallel hybrid once the battery is depleted. But then you should know this.
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