2013 Ford C-MAX

Futurecars September 13, 2012

The majority of car manufacturers, over the years, have added more attractive and technologically advanced fuel-efficient vehicles to their fleet. Ford has also a “green” plan and will offer in the fall, among others, the C-MAX Energi and 2013 Ford C-MAX Hybrid.

The U.S. carmaker comes with great pomp in the field of electric and hybrid vehicles by presenting five new models this year. After the Hybrid Fusion and Electric Focus, it is now the turn of the 2013 Ford C-MAX, and will try to compete with the Toyota hybrid Prius and its famous plug-in hybrid. By 2013, Ford also wants to triple its production capacity of fuel-efficient vehicles.

This vehicle represents a first from Ford, it is their first “pluggable” hybrid model. The difference between the hybrid and the Energi concerns the hybrid system. The system of the Energi is also equipped with the new 2.0-liter Atkinson engine and an electric motor powered by lithium-ion batteries, but it must be plugged in.

This technology is still not widely used, but as a comparison it most closely resembles the Chevrolet Volt, even if they do not work exactly the same way.

As stated by Ford, it should offer a range of 500 miles. To fully charge, four hours are needed with a charging station of 240 volts.

With the 2013 Ford C-MAX, Ford focused on certain elements that should appeal to consumers. First, there is considerable fuel economy and the latest technologies are integrated, including hands-free tailgate opening, assisted parallel parking, etc.., But the most interesting is the price at $ 29,995.

At this time, one of the main obstacles to buying a low fuel consumption car among consumers is the high buying pice. With a lower price than the competition, the 2013 Ford C-MAX will be much more accessible for anyone. By lowering the costs of hybrid technology by 30%, compared with the previous generation, it was possible to reduce the price.

With the arrival of the Ford C-MAX, the assembly plant in Michigan had to undergo some changes. It will now be possible to build the full range of Ford vehicles at the same place, whether it is gasoline or hybrid engines. The C-MAX Energi will be built on the same assembly line as its Hybrid brother but also the Ford Focus ST and electric version.

In total, the American manufacturer will offer five models in 2013 powered by a motor that is more respectful of the environment:

Ford Focus Electric
Ford Fusion Hybrid
Ford C-MAX Hybrid
Ford Fusion Energi plug-in hybrid
Ford C-MAX Energi plug-in hybrid

Ford C-MAX Energi and the 2013 C-MAX Hybrid will be arriving in the fall of 2012. Only time will tell if this attractive price will determine whether Ford will be a tough competitor for Toyota.[nggallery id=13]