2013 Ford C-Max Energi is a crossover with more room than many small SUVs, 95 mpg, a range of 550 miles because it is a plug-in hybrid, and the ability to make many trips in electric mode only using a garage charge. It starts at $29,995 after federal tax credit. In this review we compare this new electric car with the Chevrolet Volt and Toyota Prius Plug-in….
Sunlight dances on the roof of the world’s largest net zero building. At the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s (NREL) headquarters in the foothills of the Colorado Rocky Mountains, 1,325 people work in a building that generates as much energy as it is consumed. A vast parking structure is covered with solar power. The parking structure includes 36 electric vehicle charge stations that charge with solar energy.
Toyota, the hybrid car leader, is challenging General Motors, the plug-in hybrid car leader. I drive both the Chevrolet Volt and Prius Plug-in through a similar mix of freeway, city stop-go, and steep ascents and descents. Both cars are a pleasure to drive, but one car gives most drivers more value for the money.
I see a soaring hang glider as I look up through the sunroof of this sporty hybrid. This new Prius c is a pleasure to drive along the cliffs of Pacific Coast Highway overlooking the ocean. This hybrid has handled well through sharp turns, accelerating quickly on to freeways, and hitting the brakes hard when some nut cuts me off in heavy traffic. After 130 miles of mixed driving, I am getting 48.1 MPG, averaging 33 miles per hour, and staying in electric-motor only mode 20 percent of the time.
Oregon is taking the lead in the dream of driving your electric car from Mexico to Canada. A network of fast charging stations is already in place in Oregon along the U.S. Interstate 5 Freeway, which connects the southern boarder of California to the northern boarder of Washington. The West Coast Green Highway is a vision that is becoming a reality.
Public transportation ridership reached a rate of 10.8 billion rides per year according to a report released today by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA). Transit is valuable for everyone who uses it to commute to, from, and within cities. Public transportation enables millions to go to college without cars and then continue to live car free.
Electric vehicle wireless charging is now in use by electric cars, taxis, buses, car sharing, and racing teams. Is charging without plug connection in all of our future, or just special fleets? In Italy, over 30 buses on fixed routes in Genoa and Turin take advantage of wireless charging at bus stops to make electric transit a reality. As it readies for the Olympics, the city of London will include a new wireless pilot program that includes taxis using Qualcomm Halo technology.
One million people around the world are members of a carsharing program offered by Zipcar, Enterprise, Hertz, some innovative regional service, and even programs that let one person make money sharing with others in the community. Electric car owners can use car rental and car share to get hybrid cars that can take them beyond EV range, when they need SUV cargo space, and when they need AWD for snow and storms. For gasoline car owners, car share programs allow drivers to try an electric car for a few hours.
2013 Ford C-MAX Hybrid can now be ordered at a starting price of $25,995, about $400 less than the popular Toyota Prius V. Both of these exciting crossover SUVs provide plenty of room for 5 passengers and the flexibility to drop the back seat and load more cargo than many traditional small SUVs. Since there will be no 2013 Ford Escape Hybrid, the C-MAX Hybrid will be the logical choice for many current Escape Hybrid drivers.The C-MAX Hybrid delivers 47 mpg compared to 42 mpg for the largest member of the Prius family.
The Infinity LE brings a new level of elegance to the all-electric 5-passenger sedan. Whether gliding down the highway or attracting a crowd in front of a favorite restaurant, the sculpted body and LED lighted grill are arresting. Premium appointments invite the driver to use a new generation of telematics and infotainment. Sexy.