ecodad

Mostly for energy. In 2010, we used 2.7% of total petroleum consumed in the US for the manufacture of plastics. Source: http://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.cfm?id=34&t=6 For a breakdown on how we use oil, check out the data from EIA at http://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/pet_cons_psup_dc_nus_mbbl_a.htm

I'm sure empty on the battery display is not "an empty battery." But various manufacturers have a different notion of what the bottom and top of the battery meter means. One clue that can key you in that this is not an absolute display is if you look at the braking regeneration coach. You can NEVER get 100% regeneration in a real system, though my C-Max often reports that score to me. What it means is that I've captured "all" of the energy that could be expected from the regenerative breaks and didn't need to engage the friction brakes to stop.

Max, it is the act of discharging repeatedly to the low state that is harmful to lifespan of the battery. Having it depleted at a low level for a while, such as overnight is not going to harm it unless you leave it for a really extended period of time (like months).

Max, if you regularly deplete the battery down to 15% you will shorten the lifespan significantly (say 5+ times per drive), even if you then charge it back using the ICE a few minutes later. Without the EV now or EV later buttons on the non-Energi the car has no way of knowing if you are near your destination or not. I really wish my non-Energi had those buttons.

I test drove a Prius V. before deciding to get the C-Max. Here's Eric Rogell's review in TreeHugger comparing them. My conclusions are very similar, which is why we got the C-Max. Test-drive: Ford C-MAX Hybrid vs. Toyota Prius Vhttp://www.treehugger.com/cars/test-drive-ford-c-max-hybrid-vs-toyota-prius-v.html

Looks like Eric Rogell will be doing a 2nd test of the C-Max Hybrid to specialize around fuel economy. Getting to the bottom of Ford's hybrid fuel economy controversyhttp://www.treehugger.com/cars/getting-bottom-fords-hybrid-fuel-economy-controversy.html

One of the reasons we purchased the initial Camry Hybrid and later the Ford C-Max hybrid was to reduce the amount of gasoline (oil) we consume personally and as part of the nation. As an energy geek, I love looking at data and one thing I could not find in numerous searches online was how much the US spent each year importing oil to fuel our cars, heat our homes, etc. I expect many of my fellow hybrid drivers would be as shocked as I was to learn that in 2012, as a nation, the US spent $433 billion dollars on imported oil. I show my calculations and data sources behind the calculation on my blog at: http://www.greenlifestylechanges.com/how-much-did-the-us-spend-on-imported-oil-in-2012/ I originally did the calculation for 2011 and have now repeated them for 2012. Let me know what reaction you have to learning this number? How would you best describe how much money that is to others?

Lauren, If you still need to interview some hybrid owners, I'd be happy to Skype with you. Let me know and I'll email you my Skype info and we can setup a time. Good Luck!

Nick, I'd be happy to talk solar and energy efficiency for homes off the forums. Feel free to email me at ecodad at greenlifestylechanges.com My sister in law lives in Seattle as do most of my aunts, uncles and cousins. I'd love to see Rainer on a clear day sometime soon :-)

I really appreciate the EV+ mode as I live near the top of a hill and it is so great to use EV mode up the hill at 60+ MPG rather than <10 MPG on the ICE up the same hill. The logic as I've pieced together for the EV+ mode and being willing to use the batteries to a lower point is as follows: 1. The C-Max tries to keep the batteries around the 50% +/- 20% charged (I think I read this in the manual) 2. When the ICE is cold, it must come up to temperature in order to have the emissions controls working appropriately, so when you are close to a common stopping location, like your home or work, it is better for efficiency to deplete the batteries farther because you'll need the ICE on anyways to heat up the next time you drive the car. I do wish the non-Energi had the "EV now" and "EV later" buttons so you could force it to switch to EV mode for certain things or use the ICE when you know it would be more efficient or know that you are coming up on a stretch that would be great to use EV and want to have topped off the batteries. And for longevity of the batteries, you never want to fully deplete them or charge or discharge them too far. Both the Tesla Model S and the Nissan Leaf recommend not exceeding 80% charge unless you know you are going to need the extended range.

I had two very unhappy experiences with the NAV in my C-Max. It is frequently off by several blocks which caused me to get on the highway heading in the wrong direction last week. Of course I didn't realize it until I was on a stretch where the next exit wasn't for 10 miles or so. Then on Saturday, the GPS was over a mile off the mark, which made it really difficult to find the place I was trying to get to for the first time. Luckily, I had my iPhone and was able to use that instead. I had my C-Max in for service 2 weeks ago with a list of a dozen different issues for the Sync components. They were unable to address any of them and said they were still waiting on the update from Ford for the hybrids/EVs. I love my C-Max, except for the Sync :-( Is there any hope for fixes to the NAV? The rest is annoying, but I want to be able to in general rely on the NAV.

We bought our 2013 C-Max SEL back in October 2012 after our Camry Hybrid was totaled in an accident. We love it, except the Sync system. I'm even patiently waiting as the MPG slowly creep up as the temps start to rise in New England. My wife and I write a green living blog - www.greenlifestylechanges.com and are all about living more sustainably. We have a solar PV awning on our home that generates nearly all of our electricity (94% last year) and love talking about efficiency. Here's the series on installing our solar panels: http://www.greenlifestylechanges.com/going-for-solar-our-journey-to-solar-pv/ I also recently got to ride in a Tesla Model S, so I've been blogging about that as well: http://www.greenlifestylechanges.com/my-dream-family-car-tesla-model-s/ http://www.greenlifestylechanges.com/how-many-miles-do-you-have-to-drive-to-afford-a-tesla/ I look forward to discussing the C-Max, hybrids and EVs on this forum. -Jon