eddy

Do they allow hybrids in Alabama?   ;)

Yakima Racks (Yakima Products, Inc.) is based in Beaverton, Oregon (burb to Portland).  I am in the process of purchasing a C-Max Energi from a Portland area Ford dealership (delivery in early March).  I learned that Yakima Products reps had visited the dealership to take measurements of the C-Max.  So, it looks likely Yakima will come out with a product.

The Thule racks sould fit well.  The C-Max body has been in Europe (uses a small gas or a small diesel power train) since 2004.  Thule is based in the US, but has a robust market in the EU.  Hence its readiness for the C-Max.

The owners manual for the C-Max Energi is located at:  http://www.mycmaxenergi.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/2013-cmax-hybrid-owners-manual.pdf

Since when did a car sales person know anything about the product line?

I have ordered a C-Max Energi (plug-in version) and will take delivery in March (delivery purposely delayed owing to my travel commitments).  This is my first plug-in, but it will be my third hybrid.  I bought a Honda Civic hybrid in 04 and bought a Honda Insight in 10.   Some thoughts on hybrid MPG from nine years of experience:

·         The mpg on the Hondas took a distinct move upward after having about 6k miles on the system.  I don't know why, but it happened on both cars.

·         I get a 10% - 15% drop in MPG when the temperature is below about 45Fº

·         I get another little drop in MPG if the roads are wet (happens often here in the Pacific Northwest).

·         Roof racks or any other exterior protrusion (team flags, etc.) are a killer.

·         Tire pressure is another item to watch - not hyper critical like roof racks.  But, watch the tire pressure.

·         Short trips are a killer - one of the reasons I am going for a plug-in.

·         Highway speeds (65 +) cause about a 10% drop.

·         Headwind - another killer.  We get heavy winds in the Columbia Gorge.  But, it always works out.  One way I'll get slammed, but the other way I'll make it up.

I'll see how the C-Max does compared to the two Hondas I've had.

I spent the afternoon researching the charging options for the CMax Energi (I have one on order - waiting for delivery).  Here are some interesting things I learned:

• Geek Squad does work with homeowners to do a "site survey" for installing a charging station. However, the survey alone costs $99.
• Specifications/recommendations for ev charging stations is available on line (for free) at: http://www.sustainabletransportationstrategies.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Site-Design-for-EV-Charging-Stations-1.0.pdf
• The Ford Energi website features a Leviton charging station, but ev charging stations have certain universal features. For example, the J1722 connector to the vehicle is used throughout North America regardless of make or model of the ev vehicle. So, one can consider charging stations produced by any maker.
• When considering ev charging stations for home installation, you want to get a Level 2 device. Level 1 is simply 110/4-6 hour charge like the unit that comes with the Energi. Level 2 uses a 240 line and charges in 2-4 hours.
• In considering a Level 2 device, getting a 30 amp is preferred over getting a 16 amp device.
• Home Depot sells ev charging stations. See: http://www.homedepot.com/Electrical-Alternative-Energy-Solutions-Electric-Car-Chargers/h_d1/N-5yc1vZc3gj/h_d2/Navigation?catalogId=10053&ef_id=aWJOpGJxU0cAAE0O:20121226225450:s&cm_mmc=SEM|THD|VF|D27E|GGL|CarChargers&skwcid=TC|13168|ev%20charging%20stations||S|e|8882559757
• So does Lowes. See: http://www.lowes.com/Electrical/Wind-Solar-Power/Electric-Car-Chargers/_/N-1z0yt1d/pl
• Any licensed electrician can install a charging station and will probably do the "site survey" task as part of the installation, especially since you can hand them the brochure linked above. The local electrician will also know the applicable installation codes.
• Some of the charging units have timers on them to set a charge time for when lower electrical rates are available. However, this is redundant as the CMax has its own on-board timer. So, a CMax owner does not have to buy this feature when purchasing a charging device. 

I have a fully loaded CMax Energi on order - target date to take delivery is the first of March.  I was an early adopter to hybrids with a Civic hybrid in 04 and an Insight hybrid in 10.  This will be my first plug-in hybrid.  It looks like I may not get the 50 mpg I have managed on both of my Honda hybrids.  But, we have a lot of short trips we do here in the Portland, Oregon/Vancouver, Washington area and I am hoping to capture the benefits of using the plug-in system.  We'll see.