The Incredible Driving Range of Ford C-Max Energi

The Ford C-Max Energi is almost like two cars in one. For short rides around town, it operates as an all-electric plug-in vehicle, perfect for running errands without using any fuel. For longer trips, the hybrid engine offers excellent fuel economy and a range perfect for those great American road trips.

Electric Range

Fully charged, the Ford C-Max Energi has a driving range of 19 miles. The car's 7.6 kilowatt-hours battery is smaller than some of its competitors, which means it can be filled up easier and faster. With the car's onboard charger plugged into a standard 240-volt outlet (the kind that services a dryer or water heater), the electric battery will fully recharge in under three hours.

Fuel Range

With a charged battery on the highway, the car uses a combination of gas and electricity with a mileage rating of 88 mpg. Once the battery is completely drained, the Energi operates like a traditional hybrid with a fuel economy of 40 mpg in the city and 36 mpg on the highway. With a full tank and a full charge the Ford C-Max Energi has a range of 550 miles; that's Nashville to New Orleans on a single tank!

Ford Adds 20 New Vehicles to Autonomous Fleet

One of the first companies to test autonomous, or self-driving, vehicles is continuing its work. Ford has recently announced it is tripling its vehicle development. With 20 new vehicles bringing the fleet to 30, this company now has the largest fully autonomous fleet in the nation.

Autonomous Fleet Uses Updated Software

The new lineup includes updated sensors and software to make their automated fleet even safer. With the Solid-State Hybrid Ultra PUCK, the auto sensor has a range of 200 meters. With the new Hybrid Ultra PUCK sensors in place, the LiDAR sensors, currently used on automated vehicles, can be reduced by half.

Ford’s Ultra PUCK technology has a lightweight design, making it optimal for putting on even sensitive areas such as side view mirrors. These new auto sensors are bringing fully autonomous vehicles closer to fruition.

A History of Firsts

Ford was one of the first to use the LiDAR sensor, which autonomous vehicles use to emit short pulses of laser light. This light scans the surrounding environment millions of times to determine surrounding objects and their distance. Now they are the first to have around 30 cars in their fleet and are due to hit the California streets for testing in the next few months.