Saving for the Weekend: C-MAX Energi Is Now HOV Lane Approved

[xcel]

With the Fed $3,750_TC, CA $1,500 rebate, and now HOV_Lane access available, this vehicle will be hard to overlook.

Wayne Gerdes - CleanMPG - Oct. 27, 2012

Ford C-MAX Energi PHEV-21 - $29,995 to start (includes D&H and Fed TC) with a 100 MPGe combined rating.
Final EPA city/highway certification figures will have to be released soon.

Ford released another good one regarding its upcoming PHEV. With Californians looking at $4.50 a gallon (my own experience in San Francisco area earlier this week) and the potential to purchase a C-MAX Energi PHEV-21 for as little as $28,495 with all the incentives piled on incl. HOV lane access, is there reason to consider anything else?

This week CARB gave the go ahead allowing C-MAX Energi owners to purchase the Green Clean Air Vehicle Sticker as part of the Clean Vehicle Rebate Program (CVRP).

The Rebate

California C-MAX Energi customers are now eligible to receive a $1,500 state tax rebate when purchasing or leasing the vehicle for 36 months or longer.

In a prepared statement, Michael O’Brien, Ford Electrified Vehicle Marketing Manager said the following:

“We’re pleased with Californian’s interest in the C-MAX Energi as the most affordable compact PHEV on the market today. The carpool lane incentive and rebate will help Californians “go further with Ford” in every sense of the phrase.”

According to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (yeah, I did not know such a Federal entity existed either?), the average driver spends 55 minutes a day behind the wheel while commuting/driving 29 miles a day. Can you imagine the cost and fuel savings if at least 21 of those miles were on the plug? Better yet, can you imagine the birds singing and the commuters chanting “Go further with Ford” while you blissfully complete your daily grind

CVRP is funded by the California Environmental Protection Agency’s Air Resources Board (CARB) and administered statewide by the California Center for Sustainable Energy.

According to CARB, Green Clean Air Vehicle Stickers are available to the first 40,000 applicants who purchase or lease cars meeting California's Enhanced Advanced Technology Partial Zero Emission Vehicle (AT PZEV) requirement which the C-MAX Energi easily does.

These stickers do not last long so if you are a Californian and want to be one of the privileged few to ride the diamond, an “Energi” in your drive is one of the fastest ways to get there.

[MN Driver]

This car looks great and the price seems appropriate. I may be looking for one in the used market in 10 years as I don't buy new cars but this is more desirable to me than any other plug-in hybrid such as the Volt because of its lower initial price, IMHO better interior and exterior looks, 5 seats, and better highway gasoline efficiency. Is "go further with Ford" an official Ford slogan?

FYI, government website often do not resolve without www before them so your link(until you edit it) does not work. irs.gov used to not work but later they fixed it so it resolved without the w's. It seems the government is behind on most things on the web. Also please add the definition of D&H, a web search for that acronym doesn't find anything and it isn't in the sites glossary link feature, might be a good idea to add federal TC too. Not everyone is as acronym-happy in their posts as others on this site so it would make it more friendly to those who reading who aren't members or regulars of the site to catch the acronyms thrown around. Thanks for the info and link to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics site.

[xcel]

Hi MN Driver:

Thanks for the www. thing and its inserted.

D&H is destination and handling. A common acronym for the dealer groups, not the general public. TC is of course tax credit.

Wayne

[waltermlee]

I saw my first Ford C-max hybrid today - it's really really nice looking. :-)

[WriConsult]

Still seems counter to basic roadway engineering principles that the HOV lanes in California -- which in other places exist to maximize roadway capacity and incentivize carpooling -- allow single-occupant use. But California has always been "special", and that includes its air quality problems.

[herm]

They are using the HOV lane sticker as an incentive.. just like the free money they give you for an electric..

[CRT1]

Originally Posted by WriConsult

Still seems counter to basic roadway engineering principles that the HOV lanes in California -- which in other places exist to maximize roadway capacity and incentivize carpooling -- allow single-occupant use. But California has always been "special", and that includes its air quality problems.

Depends what the stated goals of the HOV lane are. If merely to lessen road congestion then it is counter intuitive. I suspect the Californians view it more as an incentive to make a green choice, either by upping the PMPG by adding more people per car or by driving a car that already gets 95 MPGe.

[WriConsult]

Originally Posted by CRT1

If merely to lessen road congestion then it is counter intuitive.

Exactly. And (outside California) lessening road congestion/maximizing capacity is THE goal of HOV lanes.