Chalk up another win for Ford as they take home the Green Car Journal Green Car Vision award for the second year in a row at the Washington Auto Show. The Ford C-Max Energi has indeed been turning many heads and other still are awaiting the 2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid that will become available this fall. However, how “Green” can a company be for developing vehicles that are not on the road yet?

Building hybrids with style is on the mind of many, but what about non-hybrids that are purely electric with zero emissions? While the Ford Focus electric is also a zero emission vehicle as opposed to the Hybrid C-Max, one tends to wonder how the C-Max Energi was able to win the award in the first place. Don’t get me wrong, Ford has done an amazing job with these two vehicles. The C-Max gets 40 miles to the gallon versus cars like the Tesla Model S getting 300 miles per charge. The C-Max has a greater range after fill-up, but you are still paying those high gasoline prices. Is it more cost effective to get the greater range? Perhaps on long road trips it could be, but for in town or perhaps the casual drive it could cost more as opposed to a completely electric vehicle. However, 40 MPG is a lot better than what most of us drive and depending on sticker prices, I might consider one.

The design of the C-Max is akin to a minivan without the size. It easily can fit several people with leg room for a comfortable drive. With a sleek, aerodynamic, and sexy design, I wouldn’t be surprised if these wind up being very popular. I can see the C-Max being perfect for family vacations, or families that travel around town together.

At any rate, with the variety of hybrids and electric cars available now, anyone can find something to help the environment and prolong our use of oil byproducts. By going to Ford’s website, you can reserve your Ford Focus electric car for 2012 and view the full specifications for the 2013 C-Max Energi.

The Ford Focus Electric vehicle is an eco-friendly vehicle manufactured by Ford Motors Incorporated. It does not depend on gas or oil to run. It runs through electricity produced by a lithium-ion battery. Thus, it does not release harmful gases that cause pollution.

The 2012 Ford Focus Electric Vehicle was launched by Ford late this year. Its been branded by the company to be a green car but not only because it does not emit gas but also because it used recycled and reusable materials for its interiors and structure.

According to the Ford, the car seat foam inserts are made from soy product, which makes it lighter. Some materials are also made of wood fiber. These materials were ideal to be used because they are light weight. The lighter the electric vehicle is, the more efficient its battery becomes.

The 2012 Ford Focus includes a function that automatically calculates the electricity spent from using the air conditioner and other car accessories which make it easier for the driver to determine the capacity or driving range of the car. Ford also joined forces with Mapquest to customize map routes for easy driving experience. Also, it has the MyFord mobile app which calculates the distance traveled and the energy used. It help estimate the driving capacity of the electric vehicle so that the driver can also determine whether he has to recharge the battery or not.

The most innovative feature of for the 2012 model is the addition of “Mykey” technology. Drivers can customize the driving program of the other family members, which can set a maximum speed limit for a driver or efficient programming to prolong the battery life. This can help lower the car insurance rates for your family car.

But like other vehicles, of course, the car has its share of disadvantages. Since it runs thru lithium-ion battery system, it is also bound with the disadvantages of lithium-ion battery. So when the battery gets old, it may no longer charge properly, like other batteries, and it will affect the battery life. Thus the Focus may have to be charged frequently because of the reduced battery
efficiency.

Ford, being a pioneer in car industry, already have their research and development department working in full force to address these issues.

If you’re looking at electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles with the environment being as big a factor in the choice as saving at the pump, then Ford’s recent announcement that the Electric Focus will come with a solar charging option will be of definite interest to you.

The home solar charging kit comes courtesy Ford’s partnership with SunPower which will supply the 2.5 kilowatt solar panel system that gets mounted on your rooftop. With weather permitting the system will generate 3,000 kWh of electricity per year which amounts to enough juice to power your Focus across 12,000 miles.

Ford is referring to the option as “Drive Green for Life” as it obviously offsets the potentially environmentally unfriendly methods of power generation that your local power plant may rely on. If your power is coming from coal, as many households in the U.S. do, then this makes you one hell of green driver.

Cost of the Focus solar power package will run you $10,000. So guilt free driving still costs a little more than many would like. Tell us what you think though, is this a viable option for electric cars of the future or an overpriced, dead-end solution?

Ford Motor Company has announced their plans for releasing battery electric vehicles. The first battery electric Ford Transit Connect will be available next year. Ford Focus will also be available as a plug-in electric car by 2011. Ford has confirmed that the Ford Fusion hybrid will be available as a plug-in vehicle by 2012.

Ford has 15 prototypes of the Ford Focus currently in testing. The BEV (battery electric vehicle) is also part of a new charging infrastructure in Britain. The infrastructure will be available to the public in 2010. The Focus BEV prototype is based on the gasoline version of the Ford Focus. It comes equipped with a new all-electric powertrain.