Ford C-Max Energi - Partway to a Pure Electric Future

For numerous reasons, more new alternative fuel vehicles are arriving in the marketplace. I hope it's because we really are tired of (and worried about) burning fossil fuels and wrecking our planet, but some of it is because the manufacturers have to meet stricter U.S. Government standards. And, manufacturers are competing with each other.

Toyota has claimed the green mantle so far with its popular Prius hybrid. In fact, Toyota currently has two thirds of the market. Ford is second--way down at about 12 percent--but it's growing. And a major reason is its new hybrid C-Max models.

In the U.S., you can get the C-Max only as a hybrid or a plug-in hybrid. Designed in and for the European family minivan market, it is available as a normal petrol-powered car there, but here, Ford is creating a new specific model to go head-to-head with the Prius, while still offering the same engine/motor combination in the midsize Fusion sedan.

The plug-in hybrid is a step between an all-electric car, such as the Nissan Leaf, and a normal hybrid. Hybrids use a gasoline engine coupled with an electric motor and a larger battery. The battery, not associated with the 12-volt one used to start the engine or power your radio or air conditioner, generates all of its power by regenerating it whenever you use the brakes. This works well, because hybrids never require plugging in. The system uses computer brainpower to know when to use the engine or the motor--or both.

A pure electric vehicle is great, until you run out of juice. Charging stations are few, and it takes a while, normally hours, to recharge a depleted battery. So, you could end up stuck somewhere, or be forced to limit the use of your car. A plug-in hybrid allows you to charge up for a limited amount and then, when that battery is dry, you automatically switch to hybrid mode and keep going.

Charging is easy, but you have to spend a couple of minutes every night pulling out the cord and connecting your car to your home's power supply. The durable cord coils up onto a portable holder that is stashed neatly under the driver's seat. It's enough of a bother to put it back there that I left it out on the rear floor during the C-Max's stay, only returning it to its hidden home when I gave back the car.

On the left front fender, the round plastic door flips up and over and you plug in what looks like a gas nozzle without the tube into the socket. Then, a circle around the filler glows in a clockwise moving circle. As you charge the car, it displays, in  quarters, what percentage the battery has charged. When it's 100 percent charged, the light goes out. It worked overnight on 110 current; a 220-volt system would presumably be much faster.

The C-Max is a very pleasant car to drive, with responsive steering, a firm, but not harsh ride, and an airy and attractive interior. You sit high, almost like in a crossover SUV. And, the electric charge is effective--until it runs out. But the transition from smooth, silent electric to gas/electric is virtually undetectable.

I commute 30 miles to my office each day, so my real-world experience was that I enjoyed about 21 fuel-free miles, and at about 2/3 of the way there, the car became a regular hybrid. Even then, part of my driving, even on the freeway, was electric, so, the first day, I ended up driving 23.6 miles on pure electricity for a 29.4 mile trip. That's excellent. I verified a similar performance on subsequent days.

Of course, with no chance to charge, my trip home was simply as a hybrid, but even then, I had 13.5 miles in "EV" (electric vehicle) mode.

The ideal case for this car would be to have a shorter commute, with a charger at both ends. Then, perhaps, my commute would use no gas at all.

One weekend day, I ran several errands around town, to the dry cleaner, bank, pet food store, and realized when I pulled into my driveway that I had done it all on electricity alone. And that feels good.

The C-Max combines a 2.0-liter gasoline engine with a motor to get 188 horsepower combined. The engine accounts for 141 of that. The battery is a Lithium-ion type rather than the older style nickel-metal-hydride, which means it's more efficient and can be smaller. As it is, the plug-in model must steal several cubic feet of rear cargo space for the battery. I was still able to open the hatch and slide in a variety of substantial items. 

The C-Max's accommodations look just like today's Fords--lots of angles, nicely finished surfaces, and a a lot of activity combined with a strong, solid feel. You also live with Ford's SYNC system for attaching your phone and devices, including voice activated phone and navigation system commands. There is a learning curve, but after several cars like this, I know how to use the quartered home page screen and to touch the corner to open up that feature, such as Audio, Navigation or Climate.The voice commands are usable for dialing someone while you're underway.

The instrument panel features Ford MyTouch, which gives you the power to change what you see on the right and left sides of the simple round speedometer. The left side displays fuel economy information and gives you insight into which powerplant is working and how hard it's working. There are several different views, but I liked the one with a double rainbow of bars that at a glance told the story. Of course, there are numbers available--the average miles per gallon being the one I cared most about. And the left side automatically gives a report after each trip on how efficiently you drove.

The right side of the instrument panel shows entertainment and other features, but is most fun as the Efficiency Leaves display. Drive gently and electrically and you can add various-sized leaves to the plant. When you're stomping on the gas on the freeway, the leaves fall off and disappear. You begin to feel guilty about "killing" the plant. This strategy may work for some drivers.

How does the EPA calculate fuel economy on cars that sometimes drive without fuel? The agency issues an MPGe number that is an "equivalent" value. So, the numbers for the regular hybrid are 47 for City, Highway, and, naturally, Combined (although I and others have not achieved that in real world driving). The official figures for the Energi are 108 City, 92 Highway, and 100 Combined. That sounds spectacular, but it will vary greatly depending on your driving. Driving only about a third of my miles in pure electric mode, I averaged a still good 49.5 miles per gallon (equivalent) over the test week. If you kept your driving more local and stayed on battery power, then the number would be closer to 100 MPGe.

And that's part of what you need to consider when looking at the C-Max--or any other hybrid, plug-in, or electric car. Hybrids normally are most efficient in town, so if you drive primarily freeway miles, a very efficient standard gasoline car might make more sense, particularly considering the price premium for hybrids. Certain, the Energi is great to drive, but I always was a little disappointed when the three-dimensional representation of a battery morphed before my eyes into the two-dimensional battery-shaped image used by  the hybrid drivetrain. I wanted it to last longer.

Prices for the C-Max Energi start at $33,345; the regular hybrid begins at $25,200. That's a significant difference for what could turn out to be an incremental fuel savings. These numbers are competitive with the Prius, and especially with the Prius v, the more wagon-shaped version in Toyota showrooms. If budget is your top priority, a gas-powered Ford Fiesta subcompact gets up to 41 miles per gallon on the freeway and starts at just $14,000.

If you're interested, in a C-Max, drive it and the Prius back to back. The numbers are close, but the Ford feels more fun to drive and the Energi's pure-electric range is greater than the plug-in Prius. I expect, in the near future, to see an improved electric range in the Energi--and probably a C-Max all-electric vehicle in what is shaping up to be an epic battle for green buyers.

Ford Fusion - A Beautiful New Start

Ford's new Fusion takes its place as a milestone vehicle for the company. Much like the 1949 smooth-sided post-war triumph and the 1986 Taurus, this car sets the tone for the future.

The Fusion, as a midsize sedan, has its work cut out for it, battling the longtime favorites the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord, not to mention the ascendant Hyundai Sonata, redone Chevrolet Malibu, and a renewed Nissan Altima. But the Ford is a truly beautiful car, and that is one way to differentiate yourself in this segment.

The Fusion arrived in 2005 when as a 2006 model, it took over the role of the old Taurus, which had run its cycle. The Fusion bore the look of Fords of its day, with clean but uninspiring lines. After some styling excesses in the late 1990s Ford was understandably cautious. A 2010 restyling of the ends and dash earned the Fusion a Motor Trend Car of the Year trophy. But the 2013 is all new.

Look at that Aston Martin grille. That's a theme working its way through the Ford line, along with shrunken oval logos and squinting headlamps. The handsome exterior, with its folds, athleticism and edginess, comes from the European styling studios, and aligns with the New Focus and Fiesta--and the resurgent Taurus. Ford is leveraging its models worldwide now more than ever, and we are benefiting from this here in the U.S.

The interior of the new Fusion is as enthusiastic as the exterior. Especially notable are the silvery plastic trim pieces, which define the dash and the doors in a way unthinkable in the sober old car. The instrument panel is configurable, and I took advantage to show things like fuel economy on the left and my entertainment selections on the right. When you use the Bluetooth phone connection it displays the caller's name and number there, too. It's what we expect now--more personalization.

The dash has touch-sensitive controls for the climate system. You have to be careful not to accidentally touch one and change your settings. Also, it requires careful finger placement, which could take your eyes off the road. One way to avoid that is to use the SYNC system, which works on voice commands. It can be very effective or make annoying or even hilarious mistakes, but I did use the system to dial a friend by simply asking the system to "Dial Bob Smith" and it worked. It's a Star Trek user experience for today.

The new Fusion is the first car to offer three different power choices--a standard gasoline engine (in three sizes), a hybrid, and a brand new plug-in hybrid called the Energi. I was able to sample the first two--a Ginger Ale Metallic SE with the 16-liter Ecoboost engine and an "Ice Storm" Hybrid. While they looked very much alike on the outside, the experience with them was a bit different.

The SE employs Ford's latest EcoBoost engine technology. This means that a 3,400-pound car is powered by an engine displacing only 1.6 liters. That sounds like it belongs in a subcompact hatchback,  but with the EcoBoost enhancements (providing 178 horsepower and 184 lb.-ft. of torque) it was actually just fine. The goal of EcoBoost is to improve overall fuel economy by using a smaller engine to get the same performance as a larger engine. The engine in my tester was hooked to a six-speed automatic, but the SE is also available with an optional six-speed manual. I would like to sample one someday.

The other two models in the standard gas lineup include the S model, which features a traditional 2.5 liter inline four-cylinder, which, though larger, puts out 3 fewer horsepower than the 1.6 (and 9 fewer lb.-ft. of torque. Such is the power of EcoBoost to get more out of less.

The Platinum, top-of-the-line Fusion, uses a 2.0-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder, which churns out a robust 240 horsepower and 270 lb.-ft. of torque, making it the rocket of the group. Sadly, you can't equip it with the six-speed manual (yet). That would be a great one to match against some European sport sedans.

My SE had automatic shutoff when I stopped at a light. That helps improve fuel economy, and is a new technology in the U.S. With all that, I earned 22.0 miles per gallon--decent, but not quite the 23 City, 36 Highway EPA numbers Ford boasts.

The Hybrid Fusion enjoys all the look and feel of the standard cars, but offers a proven hybrid platform. It has been popular in the old Fusion, and I was able to get 37.1 miles per gallon from my test car. This is remarkable compared to the standard car--but also in being significantly lower than the 47 City, 47 Highway and 47 Average claimed by Ford's EPA tests. Apparently other testers, including the buff magazines, have had similar results.

The Hybrid offers some extra fun with its configurable instrument panel. Choose from four levels of  small graphs that indicated gasoline usage, electricity use and generation, and much more. You can also see how much energy is "recovered" from the regenerative braking system. On the right side of the panel, the Efficiency Leaves display grows greenery when you drive efficiently--and the leaves flutter away when you don't (or can't), such as when accelerating uphill on the freeway. Driving on mostly electric power in commute traffic fills them back in. It's "gamification," but it's effective in influencing your driving behavior--if you pay attention.

The Hybrid is heavier, and feels more planted on the road, but loses four cubic feet of trunk space from the presence of the extra batteries. On the freeway, it was able to run in EV electric only mode at up to 62 miles per hour -- a bump from 47 mph in the old car. With its comfortable seats and silent powertrain, the Hybrid was a very pleasant commuter.

When you shut off the Hybrid, it tells you how many of the miles on your trip were as an EV--when you were driving with the engine off. I found that overall, it was about a third of the time, but in town, around half of the time. Like other hybrids, this dual powertrain is especially effective in city or bumper-to-bumper commute travel, since the gas engine shuts off so frequently, and when you're sitting still, neither petroleum nor electrons are consumed.

Pricing varies significantly for the Fusion. The S model starts at just $22,495 and the Titanium, with its leather interior, automatic climate control, greater power, larger wheels, upgraded audio system, and other extras, starts at $30,995. My SE, with the Luxury Package, Technology Package, Driver Assist Package, and more, came to $30,975. Other than having the 1.6-liter engine, it was practically a Titanium as equipped. All prices included shipping charges.

The Hybrid, sold in SE level only, starts at 27,995.

The new Fusion is tremendously impressive, and with its range of choices can provide affordable family transportation, environmental responsibility, and, loaded up as the Titanium, something approaching a luxury ride. It's more than just another pretty face, and from what Ford has been saying and doing, you can expect to see continuing improvement and innovation from Ford's midsize competitor.