When you woke up this morning and saw how dark it was, you probably let out a sigh like we did. Then you got in your car and made your commute just like us, burning gasoline the whole way there. Now as you look out your office window, all you can think about is how nice it will be once the clouds dispense with their leaking and float away. It’s safe to say we all need a burst of sunlight on this dreary Monday, so let’s look into the Ford C-MAX Solar Energi Concept.
Like its basis, the plug-in Ford C-MAX Energi, the Solar Energi Concept is a hybrid-electric vehicle. The difference is it’s fitted with solar paneling on the roof, so rather than charging up via a wall outlet like Brainiac, it draws its power from the sun like Superman.
A solar powered vehicle is advantageous for a number of reasons. First, they’re more viable in places where the electric grid isn’t as developed and is less reliable or more expensive to tap into. Second, solar energy is cleaner than a plug-in vehicle which is still coal-powered by proxy.
The C-MAX Solar Energi Concept was built by Ford and SunPower, and it isn’t like the solar-powered cars that you saw ten years ago. It doesn’t look like a UFO on wheels.
The Solar Energi is proof that solar panels can be incorporated into a regular looking car. These aren’t your mom’s photovoltaic cells, either. Ford partnered with Georgia Tech to develop solar panels that use a Fresnel lens that follows the sun across the sky throughout the day. As sunlight is gathered, it’s passed through a concentrator that increases its output by a factor of eight.
In total, the solar cells provide a four-hour charge to its 7.6-kWh lithium-ion battery. Just like the C-MAX Energi, the battery powers a 118-hp AC electric motor and works in tandem with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder gas engine. A fully charged battery is good for 21 miles on electric power alone. The concept still has a plug-in charge port for rainy days like this one.
The Ford C-MAX Solar Energi Concept will be displayed at the 2014 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas starting tomorrow, January 7, and lasting through the end of the week. After the show, Ford plans to do extensive testing to see if there’s a production model coming in the future.
We’re very excited about this big step in electrification. If you are too, or if you want to learn about the 2014 Ford C-MAX Energi plug-in hybrid, leave a comment, email us at comments@leithmail.com, or get in touch with us at Leith Ford.