Ford C-Max Energi pricing: $29,995 after a federal tax credit, available this fall

Posted on 24/07/2012 by Darren Murph

Ford already spilled the beans on its $25,995 C-Max Hybrid (shown in the vid just after the break), but those anxiously awaiting more surrounding the C-Max Energi can finally start saving a precise amount of pennies. The automaker's first production plug-in hybrid will go on sale this autumn for $29,995 after a federal tax credit, and according to Ford, that's "more affordable than the Prius plug-in hybrid." For those in need of a memory jar, the Energi is expected to deliver 550 miles of total range, representing a 95 mpg equivalent (MPGe) and an electric-only top speed higher than the Prius plug-in. As the Prius bashing continues, Ford is also quick to point out that its Energi will boast 60 more horsepower than Toyota's rival. Those intrigued can visit the source links to see the newly launched "build-and-price" website for the car, and those who reside in the state of California will likely qualify for an extra $1,500 in tax credits.

Continue reading Ford C-Max Energi pricing: $29,995 after a federal tax credit, available this fall

Filed under: Transportation

Ford C-Max Energi pricing: $29,995 after a federal tax credit, available this fall originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Jul 2012 17:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | source

Ford (1), (2) | Email this | Comments

Ford’s 2013 C-Max Energi rolls out 95 MPGe, arrives later this fall

Posted on 20/07/2012 by Edgar Alvarez

There's no question America's favorite Motor Company faces a hefty amount of competition in the eco-friendly cars department, but the outfit is hoping to lure some green humans away from its adversaries with the upcoming C-Max Energi series. Interestingly enough, but not surprisingly, Ford's touting the 2013 Energi's cheaper price tag -- when compared to something like a Toyota Prius V -- as one of the ride's features, though it's also hoping its combined 550-mile range (PHEV-20) and expected 95 MPGe are good enough reasons for you to spend a cool ~~26k ($25,995, to be exact)~~ amount of cash on this plug-in hybrid. Ford says dealers are now taking your orders, and that the C-Max Energi will be ready to hit the streets in a few more months.

Update: As one of our dear readers pointed out, the $25,995 price is for the C-Max Hybrid. Meanwhile, we're still waiting to hear just how much the Energi will cost at the time of launch.

[Thanks, Lauren]

Continue reading Ford's 2013 C-Max Energi rolls out 95 MPGe, arrives later this fall

Filed under: Transportation

Ford's 2013 C-Max Energi rolls out 95 MPGe, arrives later this fall originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 20 Jul 2012 17:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | source

Ford | Email this | Comments

Audi’s e-Tron becomes the first hybrid to win Le Mans, saves the planet at the same time

Posted on 18/06/2012 by Daniel Cooper

Audi's R-18 e-Tron diesel-electric hybrid has become the first car of its kind to win the Le Mans 24-hour endurance race. Audi and Toyota both submitted environmentally friendly racers, but the latter's LMP1 crashed, which left the German automaker to a 1-2 finish (while a pair of non-hybrid racers placed third and fifth, respectively). Unlike battery-based hybrids, the R-18 uses a hefty turbo-diesel V6 pushing power to the back wheels, along with a flywheel to recover braking energy and drive a motor attached to the front wheels. The company has revealed that it's actually testing this far cheaper, battery-free system in a production vehicle, so perhaps it's only a matter of time before you'll be able to go a full day on a tank -- give or take the odd rest stop.

Continue reading Audi's e-Tron becomes the first hybrid to win Le Mans, saves the planet at the same time

Audi's e-Tron becomes the first hybrid to win Le Mans, saves the planet at the same time originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 18 Jun 2012 05:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink

Yahoo News, Jalopnik | source

Audi | Email this | Comments

A123 Systems’ new lithium ion tech keeps EV batteries cool, your wallet in check

Posted on 13/06/2012 by Jon Fingas

EV battery maker A123 Systems has had a rocky history as of late following a Fisker battery recall, but it may just be turning the corner with a new lithium ion advancement. Nanophosphate EXT widens the temperature range that A123's lithium iron phosphate-based batteries can withstand before losing power: an EXT battery musters 20 percent more power than before when it's as chilly as -22F and can keep over 90 percent of its original capacity after 2,000 full charges, even if it's been run in a blistering 113F heat. The longevity has its obvious advantages for anyone who lives in an extreme climate, but it could also lead to cheaper EVs and hybrids -- the less cooling a car battery needs, the lower the up-front cost and the lighter the car gets. Full production won't start until the first half of 2013, though that's ample time for companies to at least think about slotting Nanophosphate EXT battery packs into 2014 or later cars such as the Atlantic.

Continue reading A123 Systems' new lithium ion tech keeps EV batteries cool, your wallet in check

A123 Systems' new lithium ion tech keeps EV batteries cool, your wallet in check originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 13 Jun 2012 05:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | source

A123 Systems | Email this | Comments

Fisker leak shows Atlantic production delayed to mid-2014, 0-60 in 6.5 seconds

Posted on 20/05/2012 by Jon Fingas

Our hopes of taking the Fisker Atlantic for a spin next year just got dampened considerably: a big document leak has revealed that the more reasonably-priced alternative to the Karma won't be rolling off the production lines en masse until mid-2014, a year later than we'd expected. Thanks in part to a factory overhaul, the only Atlantics rolling on their hybrid-powered wheels in mid-2013 will be prototypes. On the upside, we've learned more about the car itself, including a fairly brisk 0-60 time of 6.5 seconds courtesy of a 300HP-equivalent motor. Green drivers who thought that the promised lower price would put it into entry-level luxury will nonetheless get a reality check with that $50,000 to $60,000 target, even if it's still a big savings over the six-digit Karma. There's still a huge amount of leeway for things to change, but with our compatriots at Autoblog having confirmed that the documents were real and "highly confidential," they may be a sign that the Tesla Model S will have free rein in the green luxury sedan world for a good year or more.

Fisker leak shows Atlantic production delayed to mid-2014, 0-60 in 6.5 seconds originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 20 May 2012 09:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink

Autoblog | source

Inside EVs | Email this | Comments

Porsche 918 Spyder prototype returns to the road with polished black and white shell

Posted on 16/05/2012 by Zach Honig

It may not be the first time Porsche's 918 plug-in hybrid has had a chance to flex its 770 horse power for the camera, but when we last saw the ~~pricey~~ insanely expensive speed demon strut its stuff on record, it certainly didn't look like this. The freakish prototype has emerged as a beautiful, high-performance vision of efficiency, blasting its way past 100 kilometers of terrain for every three liters of petrol (78 miles/gallon). The $845,000 machine pairs a combustion engine with electric motors to achieve that consumption rating, and sports a carbon-fiber reinforced-plastic monocoque (self-supporting) shell, rear-axle steering and that unique upward-venting exhausted system that you may have noticed in the shot above. The 918 Spyder is slated for its initial production run beginning in September of 2013, with the first models making their way to US customers late next year. It's time to start saving -- just a few thousand blog posts to go.

Gallery: Porsche 918 Spyder

Continue reading Porsche 918 Spyder prototype returns to the road with polished black and white shell

Porsche 918 Spyder prototype returns to the road with polished black and white shell originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 16 May 2012 17:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | source

Porsche Drive | Email this | Comments

Ferrari chairman reveals hybrid Enzo will come this year

Posted on 13/05/2012 by James Trew

We've seen both the fast, and the furious, when it comes to hybrid cars -- but we've yet to see a battery-packing Ferrari roll out of concept, and onto the forecourt. Well, according to Luca di Montezemolo -- the firm's chairman -- we'll finally be able to strike the latter off the list as soon as this year. A limited special edition Enzo was announced at the tail end of the supercar manufacturer's recent financial report. No further details at this time, but the optimistic among you might want to start getting trade-in quotes on that Prius now. Catch the full report is after the break.

Continue reading Ferrari chairman reveals hybrid Enzo will come this year

Ferrari chairman reveals hybrid Enzo will come this year originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 13 May 2012 11:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink

Autoblog | | Email this | Comments

Fisker Atlantic EVer unveiled in New York, we go eyes-on

Posted on 04/04/2012 by Tim Stevens

Fisker's Karma series-hybrid electric vehicle hasn't exactly been receiving a lot of great press lately, but the company didn't let the process of swapping out 640 battery packs dampen the launch of that car's smaller sibling, the Atlantic. This long-expected (and recently spied) auto is a shortened, slightly smaller car that is said to be priced at a "much lower price point" than its predecessor. But, like the bigger Karma (and the even larger Surf), there's an on-board motor that burns gas to generate more electricity to extend that range -- but sadly nobody's saying by how far.

In this case it's a four-cylinder BMW-sourced engine providing that extra range, exhaust peeking out just behind the front-left wheel. A four-banger doesn't sound all that impressive in a car like this, but remember it's only tasked with spinning a generator. Moving the sedan (and its healthy complement of batteries) will be an undisclosed electric powertrain. Sadly no details are being given tonight for performance or cost, but we're told it'll set you back about as much as an Audi A5. Could that mean a $40,000 starting price? That'd be less than half the cost of the $102,000 Karma, and potentially quite a revolution. Needless to say we can't wait to find out.

We weren't able to peek in the trunk, but we're told the new engine provides more space for your junk than the Karma's current arrangement. The car is said to match the A5 in terms of cargo space, which is certainly nothing to sneeze about. Now mind, this is just a concept and things are liable to change on the long road from here to production, but Fisker isn't known for tweaking much along the way. Suffice to say, this should be very close to the car that hits dealerships... eventually.

Gallery: Fisker Atlantic eyes-on