What Does a Hybrid Vehicle Mean?

With Ford's electric plans for the future, I thought it would be a good idea to break down some terminology that you may have already heard and will be hearing about in the upcoming months. Many people are probably already familiar with the phrase “hybrid vehicles”, but may not really understand what that really means. Ford currently has three different categories of electric vehicles which are hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and all-electric.

Hybrid Vehicles:

- A Hybrid vehicle combines the power of a traditional gasoline engine with the efficiency of a battery-powered electric motor. This helps to improve fuel economy because the vehicle is using a smaller, more efficient gasoline motor because of the electric motor.
- The battery of the electric motor is powered by regenerative braking. What this means is that when a vehicle is braking, kinetic energy is generated and then converted into electricity. Regenerative braking “captures over 90% of braking energy normally lost to heat due to friction” (Ford).
- The battery is also powered by the gasoline engine.
- An example of this kind of vehicle is the Ford Fusion Hybrid

Plug-In Hybrid Vehicles:

- A Plug-In Hybrid vehicle is very similar to how a hybrid vehicle runs and is designed. What makes the plug-in different is that it has a larger battery than a hybrid, which can then by re-charged by plugging into a normal household current. A plug-in hybrid also has the same capabilities of a regular hybrid in that it has on-board charging capabilities from regenerative braking and from the gasoline engine.
- The plug-in hybrid has a “greater range in full electric mode than a full hybrid, which helps reduce fuel consumption” (Ford).
- An example of this vehicle will be the all new Ford C-Max Energi .

All-Electric Vehicles:

- An All-Electric vehicle does not have a gasoline engine and is solely battery powered by an electric motor.
- These vehicles have a high voltage lithium-ion battery pack and can be recharged in a household current. However, separate vehicle charging stations are available to enable a faster charge.
- An example of this vehicle will be the all new 2012 Ford Focus Electric . “The powertrain provides 100% CO2-free driving, and will give Focus Electric an mpg equivalent competitive with other electric vehicles in the market” (Ford).

Ford plans to have five electric vehicles in the market by 2012. These vehicles are the Ford Focus Electric, Ford C-Max Hybrid, Ford C-Max Energi, Ford Transit Connect Electric, and one other vehicle that has yet to be revealed.

Ford's C-Max Hybrid and C-Max Energi Triples Electric Vehicle Production Plans

Last week, Ford Motor Company announced their plans to manufacture more than 100,000 electric and hybrid vehicle models by 2013 for their North American markets, tripling their current production. The all new Ford C-Max, which was originally planned to be produced as gasoline engine as well as hybrid models, will now be solely produced as a hybrid. The C-Max, which was revealed at the 2011 Auto Show, was originally designed to hold seven passengers. With Ford’s new plans for this vehicle, the C-Max Hybrid will only have room for five. The C-Max is modeled after the new 2012 Ford Focus.

Along with the C-Max Hybrid, Ford also plans to release the C-Max Energi. The C-Max Energi is a plug-in hybrid. It features a “240-volt charging system, will be able to fully recharge faster than Chevy Volt and is being engineered to deliver more overall driving range than any other plug-in or extended range electric vehicle” (Ford). Both models of the C-Max are scheduled to be in production by 2012.

You may be wondering why Ford has decided to only produce electric versions of the C-Max when consumers are less willing to purchase more expensive vehicles. Ford will be able to keep prices competitive and possibly even lower than competitors such as the Chevrolet Volt or the Nissan Leaf. This is because Ford plans to design and engineer much of the hybrid’s system in house and in the U.S. “Ford said this year that it expects the cost of hybrid systems it begins offering next year will be 30 percent less expensive than the system that was introduced on the 2010 Ford Fusion .” Ford actually plans to have five “electrified” vehicles for North America by next year. These five vehicles include both models of the C-Max, the Transit Connect Electric, the Focus Electric (coming out later this year) and another vehicle that has not yet been announced.

The C-Max was actually first released in Europe in 2010. Ford states that the 2011 model is “leaving European dealer lots at twice the rate of last year’s model” (Ford). This makes Ford confident that the North American launch of both models will be a success.

What are your thoughts about the new C-Max Hybrid and Ford’s move to cancel production of models with a gasoline engine?








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