Official Ford C-MAX Energi PHEV thread

[DaveinOlyWA]

Agree with most of the points but keep in mind the average trip is 6 miles so a 21 mile range can handle a lot of errands and sets up for public charging.
Now my position is not popular in believe that chargers should be scattered like parking meters and all should plug in most of the time. This opens up more segments including car sharing, apt dwellers, etc.

 

[mkjayakumar]

Is it true that this EV uses the same Panasonic cells as that of Tesla & Rav4 ?

 

[DaveinOlyWA]

Is it true that this EV uses the same Panasonic cells as that of Tesla & Rav4 ?

i thought Ford partnered in house with a supplier kinda like NIssan did

 

[mkjayakumar]

Okay, I found the article which said so..

http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2012/11/09/fords-latest-hybrid-takes-a-cue-from-tesla.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

..................

Taking a cue from Tesla?
The latest iteration of the C-Max is a "plug-in" hybrid, meaning that its battery can be charged from an outside source. That gives the car a short range on purely electric power, much like General Motors' (NYSE: GM ) Chevy Volt -- 21 miles in the case of the C-Max.

Ford calls it the C-Max Energi, and has quietly begun rolling it out to select dealers around the country. One of the most interesting things about the car is its battery pack, which, while small, is unusually efficient for its size -- more so than the battery packs found in the Volt and the plug-in Prius.

Ford's engineers credit much of that efficiency to the unit's battery cells, which are produced by Panasonic (NYSE: PC ) in Japan. Ford electric-car chief Kevin Layden told the Wall Street Journal that he believes Panasonic's battery is "the best battery in the entire world," which is why Ford chooses to import the company's lithium-ion cells from Japan for its hybrids, rather than buying batteries made locally.

There are good reasons to share that belief. Chief among them: The battery packs in Tesla's hot-selling Model S sedan -- which, in top trim, give the big car a range of up to 300 miles -- are powered by Panasonic cells.

.........................

 

[redLEAF]

Quick video from CR ... not much substance but at least they're not blasting it from the get go ..

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9Mw4bC6WZo[/youtube]

 

[scottf200]

Great review here: http://insideevs.com/review-ford-c-max-energi/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The up to 85 (82) MPH electric is not as impressive as it sounds it seems BUT it can do it and for crusing it'll probably be great. The Volt accelerates nicely from 60-90.

Above 70mph, acceleration is simply glacial, and the low-rolling resistance tires and 3,900lbs are very evident in the drive handling and response.

Simply put, if you are looking to pass, and you have to enter the oncoming traffic’s lane, you are probably going to die. However, it is not all bad news for those of us who occasionally like to drive a little spiritedly; once you kill off the battery (which only takes about 10 miles when you are really booking it) you will then be receiving the full benefit of the 188 hp, and with it, more than acceptable highway performance is soon returned to the C-Max.
<snip>
And other than the 5-6 minutes you might spend attempting electric driving north of 70 mph, the performance is no slouch either.

P.S. BTW, I am a Ford fan and have one in my driveway.

 

[DaveEV]

Running on the highway in EV-Auto instead of EV-Now mode will solve any highway performance issues at the expensive of some gas consumption... Depending on the length of your trip it's probably worth using either EV-Auto or EV-Later modes on the highway.

 

[EVee]

I don't usually pass going above 75mph....lol

Good review though, and the conclusion sort of summarizes what most people think about it:

Functionality is where the C-Max Energi really shines. The car is simply the most practical extended range hybrid to get people around in, hands down. Not even close. There is a lot of space inside the car, which is not all that long at 174-inches.

 

[mxp]

Ford C-MAX Energi plug-in hybrid test drive (video):
http://www.engadget.com/2012/11/13/ford-c-max-energi-test-drive/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; - there are 2 videos. The second one shows the trunk and rear seat being folded down.

It reminds me of the space lost w/FFE.

Yeah - the reduction in usable trunk space really hurts with the Energi. It's really too bad - if it had the trunk space of the Hybrid it'd be fine. Drawback of cramming in 2 drivetrains into a single vehicle.

A friend of mine went for the test drive and took some photos of the trunk space. Looks depressing.... :-(

Energi Trunk1
http://www.flickr.com/photos/43375161@N00/8192727828/in/photostream/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Energi Trunk2
http://www.flickr.com/photos/43375161@N00/8191640651/in/photostream/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Energi Trunk3
http://www.flickr.com/photos/43375161@N00/8191640685/in/photostream/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

C-Max Hybrid comparison
http://www.flickr.com/photos/43375161@N00/8192727694/in/photostream/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Sorry, I don't know how to have the pics embedded in the message thread.

 

[surfingslovak]

Sorry, I don't know how to have the pics embedded in the message thread.

I believe that one would have to be a gold member to be able to do that. Thank you for posing the photos!

 

[EVee]

Thanks for posting the pictures! The cargo space looks better and more useable than I thought. Dealers in my area still don't have any on their lots, hopefully soon, I need to make decision whether to go with the Leaf or the Energi.

 

[dgpcolorado]

Sorry, I don't know how to have the pics embedded in the message thread.

If you upload your photos to an image hosting site, such as imageshack.com, you can get a forum code that will allow embedding images in a post. Perhaps more trouble that it is worth, since your links work fine, but it is fairly easy to embed images with practice.

 

[redLEAF]

Another angle of the Energi's rear cargo area with the rear seats folded, in this shot you can see how the cargo 'floor' gets raised and what's lost to the extended range battery pack as the C-Max hybrid's floor is completely flat with the rear seats folded. Behind the compartment door you see on the left is the emergency battery disconnect shut off in case of an accident, etc.

Link to article ...

http://www.kbb.com/car-news/all-the-latest/2013-ford-c_max-energi-first-drive/

 

[redLEAF]

A more extensive test drive for the C-Max Energi as well as better write-up on the specific differences between the 'regular' hybrid and plug-in (reason for the reduced EPA estimates -- lower final drive ratio); hopefully Ford does a bit better with its electric heater when the car is running strictly on batteries than our first-gen LEAF's:

"Equipment differences in the Energi version, compared to the Hybrid, include standard electric heated seats, a high-capacity electric heater, and that lower final-drive ratio."

http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1080512_2013-ford-c-max-energi-plug-in-hybrid-first-drive

 

[mwalsh]

Yes, the charge port cover on both the Fusion and the C-MAX Energi models really did seem as flimsy as it looks here. Quite possibly the worst designed part of either car.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2B4VNli5S5w[/youtube]

 

[EVee]

That person isn't operating the door properly.

You're supposed to press the indented circle to open AND press the indented circle to close the door.

"The charge port is located between the front left side door and front left
wheel well. There is an indentation located on the charge port door that
allows you to press to open and press to close the door".

Its actually a smart design to have the door stay close to the fender rather then open up out away from the car.

This video shows the proper way to open and close the door.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tsVBFQTQOQ&feature=youtu.be

if you don't feel like pressing the indented circle, then you can do it this way

http://youtu.be/lyZF5j-l7wM

Either way, it's not too difficult.

 

[mwalsh]

This video shows the proper way to open and close the door.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tsVBFQTQOQ&feature=youtu.be

if you don't feel like pressing the indented circle, then you can do it this way

http://youtu.be/lyZF5j-l7wM

Either way, it's not too difficult.

Yeah? Well I've never had to have instruction on how to open a fuel port door before. So in that sense alone it's a design fail as far as I'm concerned. And you gotta admit that what I did at the show doesn't in any way resemble the smooth, silent way the port opens in the videos you link to. :roll:

 

[EVee]

I wouldn't confuse operator failure with design failure.

I had no problem whatsoever the first time I tried it.

It's really not that difficult, especially if you understand that pressing the button rotates the door.

I'm sure the intent of the design was to keep the door close to the car, rather than sticking out while charging like on the Volt.

 

[evnow]

Finally went to my closest dealer to take a look at Energi. He had got 3 of them - but they were all gone. None of the other dealers near me have Energi. One dealer refused to even believe they are even available now ("they are nowhere on the west coast").

 

[dgpcolorado]

Finally went to my closest dealer to take a look at Energi. He had got 3 of them - but they were all gone. None of the other dealers near me have Energi. One dealer refused to even believe they are even available now ("they are nowhere on the west coast").

Your quest to see the Energi is beginning to seem like a snipe hunt!