The Ford C-MAX Energi has been named Green Car Journal’s 2012 Green Car Vision Award winner at The Washington Auto Show.
The Ford C-MAX Energi plug-in model, which is expected to come to market in late 2012, is built on the same global C-car platform as the Ford Focus and other Ford models to come.
“Designing new cars from the ground-up to accept both internal combustion and alternative powerplants is an extremely important strategy,” said Ron Cogan, editor and publisher of the Green Car Journal and editor of GreenCar.com. “Engineering in everything from the same ride-and-handling characteristics, crashworthiness performance, and mounting points for diverse powerplants enables straightforward use of a common platform for a wide range of uses, buyers, and worldwide markets at manageable cost.”
Ford’s first-ever plug-in hybrid vehicle, the C-MAX Energi uses the automaker’s powersplit hybrid architecture and advanced lithium-ion batteries to deliver all-electric driving plus the versatility of hybrid or internal combustion power. It offers high efficiency and a driving range greater than 500 miles.
To be considered for the Green Car Vision Award, vehicles must be on their way toward commercialization but not yet on sale, in small volume production with more than one functional prototype in existence, or operating as part of a demonstration fleet.
