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Ford C-Max: Ford's First Hybrid Only Vehicle

Ford Motor Company will be releasing the all-new Ford C-Max in the fall of 2012.  The all-new, 5-passenger, hatchback C-Max will only be available as a hybrid or plug-in hybrid.  The C-Max will be Ford’s first hybrid-only model in North America, in the same way that the Toyota Prius is offered only as a hybrid.

Ford officials said the C-Max hatchback presented a stronger business case than the gasoline-powered, seven-passenger Grand C-Max that it planned to import from Europe. Ford now sells C-Max hatchbacks and minivans in Europe, in gasoline and diesel varieties, and said demand for the five-passenger version had doubled there this year.

The C-Max now scheduled to go on sale in the United States will be built in suburban Detroit, alongside the similarly sized Focus compact car, which is available now with a traditional engine and will be sold as a battery-powered car starting later this year.

In addition, Ford said it intended to triple its production capacity for hybrid and electric cars in North America so that it could build more than 100,000 of them annually by 2013. The increase will add 220 jobs in Michigan, Ford said.

Rather than fight for a share of the small but somewhat resurgent minivan market, Ford is using the C-Max to take aim at the Prius and the Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid built by General Motors.

Aaron Bragman, an analyst with the research firm IHS Automotive, said automakers were being forced to put more emphasis on hybrids by stricter federal mileage requirements, known as Corporate Average Fuel Economy, or CAFE.

Mr. Bragman also said Ford was likely to sell the C-Max for considerably less than the Volt because it is using a lot of common parts. The Volt has a sticker price of about $41,000, before a $7,500 federal tax credit.

Ford claims biggest five-year fuel economy improvement among major automakers

 
According to the latest report from the Environmental Protection Agency, Ford has scored the biggest improvement in combined fuel economy of any major carmaker over the last five years. Between 2005 and 2009, Ford improved its fleet average by nearly 20 percent – almost twice as much as any other company. While Ford certainly made a lot of incremental improvements in the efficiency of its vehicles over that period, that wasn't the only factor.

That same time period saw a huge shift in the model mix at Ford. Sales of SUVs like the Explorer and Expedition collapsed as consumers moved to crossovers like the Edge and Flex. The Explorer has gone from more than 400,000 annual sales earlier this decade to just over 68,000 last year.

Ford has made actual improvements, as well, however, including the introduction of the Escape Hybrid and the roll out of six-speed transmissions. The next five years should see even bigger gains as Ford deploys millions of EcoBoost engines, battery electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids. Ford's official press release. 

Ford Hybrids: Racking Up Sales and Mileage

Ford Hybrids: Racking Up Sales and Mileage

Leave it to Ford to buck the industry trend. While hybrid sales across the industry are down 14 percent, sales of Ford hybrid cars and SUVs are up 73 percent. Curiously, more than 60 percent of these Ford hybrid customers previously owned an import car. Also curious is the way that taxi companies in New York and San Francisco are using Ford hybrids, racking up 300,000 miles on them before retiring them. Read on for more milestones that Ford hybrids are reaching.

The fuel economy and durability of hybrid versions of Ford Fusion and Escape and also Mercury Milan and Mariner are winning over large numbers of conquest customers, many of whom are previous import owners. Through September, Ford hybrid-vehicle sales are up 73 percent versus the same period in 2008, according to figures from Autodata Inc.

“Hybrid customers increasingly are considering Ford,” said David Finnegan, Ford hybrid marketing manager. ”More than 60 percent of Fusion Hybrid sales have been from non-Ford owners, and more than half of those are customers coming from import brands, mostly from Toyota and Honda.”

Ford’s strong 2009 hybrid sales have been fueled by the introduction of the Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan hybrids, the most fuel-efficient midsize sedans on the road. Both vehicles deliver an EPA-estimated 41 mpg rating in the city and 36 mpg on the highway, topping the Toyota Camry hybrid by 8 mpg in the city and 2 mpg on the highway.

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