The only solar panels used here are on the car s roof and they re installed by ford itself.
C max with solar panels on top.
The solar panels on top of the c max can capture only enough energy to charge up the battery to about one eighth full good for maybe three miles of electric powered driving during the day one wonders why they bother.
But if ford can find a way to commercialize this solar c max energi it would be the first ev to actually move from its own internal solar power system.
Ford is using its c max energi plug in hybrid as a conceptual starting point.
There s a 7 6 kwh lithium ion battery pack that.
There are complications to overcome.
Solar panels are a source of power for the new vehicle.
The mpv is already using a hybrid drivetrain.
Internal ford data suggest the sun could power up to 75 percent of all trips made by an average driver in a solar hybrid vehicle.
To be even greener and efficient engineers in ford will try to obtain energy through solar panels.
By tapping renewable solar energy with a rooftop solar panel system c max solar energi concept is not dependent on the traditional electric grid for its battery power.
This means that if your solar panel s temperature increases by one degree celsius from 25 c to 26 c its electricity production will fall by 0 3.
But there s a catch.
2017 ford c max solar energi specs.
Underneath it s all standard c max energi.
Like the c max energi on which the concept car is based the c max solar energi uses a plug in hybrid system.
The solar energi concept with its roof mounted solar panel array is appropriately high tech.
Some vehicles such as a high end version of the nissan leaf have used solar panels on top of the car to power certain functions such as the computer system.
The largest selling point for the 2017 ford c max solar energi is definitely going to be the total range and the overall fuel consumption of the car instead of going full electric like some of their competitors the c max will also employ a petrol engine to be used as a generator or as a normal powertrain.
If the temperature increases ten degrees celsius to 35 c or 95 f the panel will produce three percent less electricity.
And the first one to get such feature could be c max minivan.
Ford s c max solar energi uses roof mounted solar panels to charge its electric motor allowing the car to go up to 21 miles on solar power alone.
On the other hand i must admit that the solar concentrator canopy is an interesting idea.