At $29,995 Energi is $265 less than the Plug-In Prius

It has been a long time since I posted. I've been just too busy.

In the last 5 months, Ford announced the price of C-Max Hybrid & Energi. They also announced that Energi will run at 85 mph in pure EV mode.

Energi priced at $33,745 before tax credits and destination charges will cost $29,995 after tax credit and destination charges. I had guessed in a June '11 post that Energi would be priced at $29,500 and Hybrid at $25,500.

Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV : Direct competitor to C-Max Energi

PX-MiEV II Concept Car

A couple of months back Mitsubishi announced that it's new Outlander SUV will come in a Plug-In Hybrid version based on the PX-MiEV concept vehicle it has displayed in the past. With 30 miles of Electric Range and AWD configuration, the SUV will appeal to people looking for a high seating Plug-In and thus will be a direct competitor to C-Max Energi.

I waited for the Geneva Auto Show before writing about it hoping that we would learn more about it. But, Mitsubishi didn't release any new information.

Why Low All Electric Range Plugins Don't Make Sense

Of the announced Plugin Hybrids, we have 2 major camps. Those who think it best to offer large AERs - like GM that has the 40 mile AER (All Electric Range) Volt. Others like Toyota which has the 11 mile Plug-In-Prius. Let us ignore expensive cars like Fisker Karma for this post.

Toyota and Ford operate under a theory that low EV mile plugins are good - since they can be made and sold cheaper. Ford has also stated earlier that the blended Power-Split approach works best - since they can be made cheaper than the extended range approach of GM.

Does the theory stand up to close scrutiny ?

Accounting for the Trunc Space of C-Max Energi and Hybrid

Credit : "Charged Up"

When the C-Max Hybrid & Energi internal dimensions were published by Ford, it became a head-scratcher. The rear seat internal dimensions in terms of head room for the Hybrid & Energi were the same, yet the storage space  for Energi when rear seats are folded was much lower than that for the Hybrid. How did Ford do it ?