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01-08-2014, 07:00 AM
Filed under: Concept Cars (http://www.autoblog.com/category/conceptcars/), Hybrid (http://www.autoblog.com/category/hybrids/), CES (http://www.autoblog.com/category/ces/), Technology (http://www.autoblog.com/category/tech/), Hatchback (http://www.autoblog.com/category/hatchbacks/), Ford (http://www.autoblog.com/ford/), Electric (http://www.autoblog.com/category/electric/)
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Companies ranging in size from small startups to major automakers have been experimenting with solar-powered charging stations for EVs and plug-in hybrids. And, of course, people have been powering vehicles with onboard solar panels for quite some time, too. Still, Ford's new C-Max Solar Energi Concept (http://www.autoblog.com/2014/01/02/ford-c-max-solar-energi-concept-ces-official-video/) shows the promise of a truly practical implementation of solar on a production vehicle, and it may not be as far off in the future as we had thought.

As we reported a few days ago, the Solar concept makes use of a "concentrator lens" that focuses sunlight onto the Ford's roof-mounted solar panels. The special lens follows the rays of the sun to maximize the amount of charge being fed to the batteries of the car, taking about a day to fully charge the 21-mile, all-electric range of the C-Max Energi (http://www.autoblog.com/ford/c-max/). Ford (http://www.autoblog.com/ford/) data suggests that combination might be enough to power 75 percent of all trips made by a statistically average driver. In turn, using the sun to power a vehicle could reduce yearly C02 emissions by up to four metric tons when compared with the driver of an average gasoline-powered sedan.

We've got live images of the C-Max Solar Energi Concept, jauntily tilted on its display to best present it's signature solar panels, straight from the CES (http://www.autoblog.com/ces/) floor.Continue reading Ford C-Max Solar Energi takes a recharging station wherever it goes (http://www.autoblog.com/2014/01/08/ford-c-max-solar-energi-concept-ces-2014/)
Ford C-Max Solar Energi takes a recharging station wherever it goes (http://www.autoblog.com/2014/01/08/ford-c-max-solar-energi-concept-ces-2014/) originally appeared on Autoblog (http://www.autoblog.com) on Wed, 08 Jan 2014 08:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds (http://www.mnfords.com/rss-term-of-use/).
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