Official Ford C-MAX Energi PHEV thread

[redLEAF]

Here is the photo of the trunk (from http://fb.me/1AfI8Qrdk" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ). Not sure how usable it is ... as suspected, top of the battery looks to be about a foot above the trunk floor. Lot of people would find it difficult to lift heavy suitcases (and other stuff) to that level.

to give some more perspective, I took a test drive of the new C-Max Energi paying close attention to how much extra space its battery takes as compared to the regular hybrid only and its not insignificant ... here is a photo with that flap flipped up and I put a brochure next to it which is 9 1/2" high so you can see how much extra space it takes. Also, the load floor is no longer flat from the rear seats back as the extra battery 'hump' fills the storage area; the salesmen stated that Ford says the panel over the battery can hold a few heavy suitcases but that's about it:

quick question; there seems to be storage of sorts between the hatch and the very back of the vehicle that is taller. is it wide enough to be usable?
i received the "tour" when the hybrid version was making the rounds in mid July and I asked about it and he said that the back storage would be somewhat similar to the LEAF with the "bump" present. now this is looking more like a "plateau" than a bump...

In person seeing it; it's very narrow and nothing at all when that parcel shelf is unfolded (look at it on the red one, if goes all the way out to the 'lip' of the hatch) you might be able to squeeze some kind of soft-sided bag but not much else)

 

[evnow]

Still not totally sold on Ford's approach with this plug-in as I've seen the PiP and it doesn't have the same load floor issues but then again it has less EV range. As the length and width of the load floor is the same, just not the height, it would definitely fit a fair number of grocery bags but I would think the tops would stick out over the rear seat backs blocking part of the view out the back.

How is the cargo space compared to Leaf ?

 

[DaveinOlyWA]

Still not totally sold on Ford's approach with this plug-in as I've seen the PiP and it doesn't have the same load floor issues but then again it has less EV range. As the length and width of the load floor is the same, just not the height, it would definitely fit a fair number of grocery bags but I would think the tops would stick out over the rear seat backs blocking part of the view out the back.

How is the cargo space compared to Leaf ?

really begs the question of why they did not simply raise the platform 4-6 inches and place the battery in the floor like Tesla did? i have to think they addressed and discounted the idea.

 

[evnow]

really begs the question of why they did not simply raise the platform 4-6 inches and place the battery in the floor like Tesla did? i have to think they addressed and discounted the idea.

This whole idea of eating up trunc space for battery is not a good idea - esp. in a utility vehicle. They need to put more of the battery below the seats.

 

[redLEAF]

Still not totally sold on Ford's approach with this plug-in as I've seen the PiP and it doesn't have the same load floor issues but then again it has less EV range. As the length and width of the load floor is the same, just not the height, it would definitely fit a fair number of grocery bags but I would think the tops would stick out over the rear seat backs blocking part of the view out the back.

How is the cargo space compared to Leaf ?

I'd say the space is more than the LEAF but to my mind anyways not as useful because the LEAF uses a well so things don't go flying around as you're driving or need to come to a sudden stop. We've only folded down the seats of our car occasionally but would do this a lot in the C-Max so having a flat floor is something we really prefer.

 

[EVee]

Maybe because I'm an old lady with a bad back, but I think having the trunk up higher might be easier for me to load and unload, rather then bending over to pick up items. I don't know, I'll have to try it in person before I decide.

Thank you for the photos.

 

[Pipcecil]

How was the cabin noise in the energi compared to the hybrid? My wife and I testdrove the hybrid with her father this weekend (he parents are considering a c-max and no Energi's here in DFW yet) and the one outstanding issue seemed to be motor noise inside the cabin. I am curious if this is the same with the plug-in version or if they added extra sound dampening materials. The road noise was low, but the engine noise was loud (although we were running without raido so it probably was an extreme case).

 

[mwalsh]

How was the cabin noise in the energi compared to the hybrid? My wife and I testdrove the hybrid with her father this weekend (he parents are considering a c-max and no Energi's here in DFW yet) and the one outstanding issue seemed to be motor noise inside the cabin. I am curious if this is the same with the plug-in version or if they added extra sound dampening materials. The road noise was low, but the engine noise was loud (although we were running without raido so it probably was an extreme case).

I thought that too. I also found the engine a little "buzzy", for want of a better word.

 

[redLEAF]

How was the cabin noise in the energi compared to the hybrid? My wife and I testdrove the hybrid with her father this weekend (he parents are considering a c-max and no Energi's here in DFW yet) and the one outstanding issue seemed to be motor noise inside the cabin. I am curious if this is the same with the plug-in version or if they added extra sound dampening materials. The road noise was low, but the engine noise was loud (although we were running without raido so it probably was an extreme case).

I thought that too. I also found the engine a little "buzzy", for want of a better word.

The only two test drives I've taken with either were local roads up to about 40 to 45 MPH; radio off -- on the 'regular' hybrid, the 'battery left' indicator was nearly nil so running pretty much on the engine and it was indeed very quiet, you did hear a little engine noise when you floor it but nothing really objectionable (at least to my ears, I also own a Miata where you can hear pretty much everything so may be less sensitive to it). On the Energi though, when applying the brakes, I definitely heard something more than on the regular C-Max hybrid (my son riding up front heard it too) but couldn't put my finger on it --- was it relays, electrical drivetrain, etc.; just don't know. The entire drive was via EV power but it wasn't noticeably more quiet than the regular hybrid. Remember, Ford has put in a lot more sound insulation in both C-Max models as well as they have a sound cancelling (white noise) generator on board so you would be hard pressed to consider either one as being noisy. Our LEAF's I would consider as very, very quiet and to me that's kind of the benchmark that would be great to replicate with one of these ---

 

[JustinC]

Wow, that's a disappointing photo. It looks like an aftermarket conversion - not a production model from one of the top car makers in the world. One of the two reasons I was considering this car as a LEAF replacement was the trunk space.

The Model S is looking better and better every day.

 

[redLEAF]

Interesting follow up to the October sales numbers ... not a real surprise but interesting just the same; as an aside, I test drove a Prius V as well (haven't yet bought a C-Max yet or another) but did not consider the 'regular' Prius as I wanted a bit more utility, would be possibly trading in a competing brand, last Ford I owned goes back 20 years:

"One in four C-MAX Hybrids sold in October were sold in California," the release said, "with Los Angeles as the best-selling region and San Francisco following in second."
"Initial conquest data show that more than 70 percent of C-MAX Hybrid buyers traded in a competitive model or added it without trading in another vehicle," Ford continued.
"And one third of C-MAX Hybrid customers in October said they cross-shopped the Toyota Prius and Prius V."

http://www.businessinsider.com/2013-ford-c-max-energi-plug-in-adds-to-c-max-hybrid-sales-2012-11

 

[evnow]

Energi has landed at my nearest Ford dealer. I'll try to take a look over the weekend.

The dealer says Nov 15th is the launch day for Energi. I guess that is when we will see reviews and ads ...

 

[DaveinOlyWA]

Energi has landed at my nearest Ford dealer. I'll try to take a look over the weekend.

The dealer says Nov 15th is the launch day for Energi. I guess that is when we will see reviews and ads ...

wow they really moved up the time table on the Energi! wonder why they werent in the same hurry with the FFEV?

 

[cwerdna]

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.

 

[adric22]

Why have I not been able to find any professional reviews of the C-Max Energi? The only reviews I can find are of the hybrid version.

 

[DaveinOlyWA]

Probably because it was rushed to market. I think Ford was shocked at the lease deals and increased sales of the PiP and the Volt

 

[mwalsh]

Ford is now confirming the Energi for it's 'Ford Go Further Tour' ride-and-drive event in Los Angeles this coming weekend, where as before they were only confirming the FFE and the C-Max Hybrid. I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that it will be at all future tour stops, but I'll come back and confirm or otherwise when I get word from Ford:

http://register.fordgreendrive.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[DaveinOlyWA]

Great news, thanks for the heads up Michael!

 

[DaveEV]

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.

 

[adric22]

I have really mixed feelings about this vehicle (The C-Max Energi)

Good Points:

• Priced low enough (around $30,000 after rebates) to have more mass market appeal than any other plug-in vehicle.
• While it doesn't appeal to me, the crossover-SUV style vehicle will likely have more mass market appeal.
• Can be driven like a pure-EV up to 85mph with an option to lock out the I.C.E. completely (unlike the PiP).

Bad Points

• While it has up to 65Kw of power in EV mode, which is probably better than the PiP, it is still slower than the Leaf or Volt and thus the driver doesn't get the "full" EV experience. Granted, it will go faster than that when the I.C.E. is running.
• With 21 miles of EV range, it still can't handle the average American commute. Which brings into question the total cost of ownership. With a Volt or Leaf you can pretty much subtract your gasoline bill from the monthly payment to get an idea of your budget. Not so easy with the smaller EV range.

So I'm excited about this vehicle as it gives the public yet more more choice in a plug-in vehicle, but it has a lot of compromises too. It will be interesting to see which type of vehicle has the most mass market appeal.