The battle for automotive green-tech supremacy continues to reach new highs as Ford announced that its latest C-Max Energi plug-in hybrid people carrier is now "America's Most Fuel-Efficient Plug-in Hybrid" at 108 MPGe in the city and 100 combined.
Naturally, Ford is aiming its latest plug-in squarely against its most formidable competitor - the Toyota Prius plug-in, which earns just 95 MPGe combined. In fact, even the innovative Chevrolet Volt blug-in electric hybrid only gets 98 MPGe, effectively making Ford a leader among the giant automakers.
No doubt, the C-Max Energi plug-in's main sell is its superior fuel efficiency. To put its 100 MPGe into perspective, Ford says that C-Max Energi customers could save almost $7,000 over an average vehicle over a five-year driving period. In fact, savings could even exceed that figure as the cost of gasoline continues to rise.
According to C-Max Energi chief engineer John Davis, "With $5-per-gallon gasoline, C-Max Energi customers essentially will pay $1.25 per gallon for the same distance traveled compared with average vehicles estimated to achieve 23 mpg."
Powered by a 141-hp 2.0 liter Atkinson-Cycle 4-cylinder engine mated to an electric drivetrain with a 7.6 kWh lithium-ion battery cell, the C-Max Energi also boasts 500 patents worth of eco-technology. Other innovations include an in-house hybrid transmission; an EV mode button on the center console that allows the driver to toggle from all-electric, normal hybrid, and battery conservation modes; an ECO Cruise that's more efficient than standard cruise-control, a regenerative braking system that captures more than 95 percent of the energy lost in braking, and a SmartGauge that provides instant fuel economy read-outs that inform and educate drivers on techniques to optimize fuel economy.
What's more the C-Max Energi also features modern conveniences including a new SYNC MyFord Touch infotainment system that allows voice commands for phone, nav, entertainment, and climate functions.
Look out for the Ford C-Max Energi plug-in when it arrives in showrooms later this fall and will start at a price of $29,995.
