FORD’s C-Max Solar Energi: Plug-In Hybrid With A Rooftop Solar Panel.

Imagine a Car with a Solar Panel Roof.

Introducing (Esp. at CES) FORD’s C-Max Solar Energi: Plug-In Hybrid With A Rooftop Solar Panel.

• Self Parking Feature Aligning Where the Most Sunlight 
• Parked under a Lens that Concentrates Sun Rays by a factor of eight. 

CES 2014: Ford will showcase small hybrid crossover

Details to Know: 

· 16ft Area of  of Photovoltaic Cells on the Roof. 

· Cells are Manufactured by SunPower (Market Cap: $5.3B, As of 1/6/2014: $32.44 per share).

· Cells produce 300 – 350 Watts

· 1 hour of Charging Sunlight = 1 Mile of Driving

· 21 percent Efficiency level (sun energy captured converted to electric current) 

NYT: “It is programmed to use its self-parking feature to maneuver as needed, staying aligned with the most concentrated area of sunlight. The car creeps a few feet over the course of the day to keep the solar panel under the lens’s focus point. And to compensate for the change of seasons, it lines itself up at a slightly different north-south positions from day to day when it is parked under the lens.” 

“The best place to put the magnifying lens, said Mike Tinskey, director for global vehicle electrification and infrastructure at Ford, is in the parking lot of a workplace. “Your vehicle recharges while you’re there,” he said. In six hours, the solar cells would pick up eight kilowatt-hours, enough to go about 21 miles, Ford said.” 

“A car is generally parked 95 percent of the time,” Mr. Tinskey said. “Knowing that type of statistic, it’s very likely this solar panel will be exposed to sun whether it’s under the concentrator or by itself.” 

“Ford recommends the system for places with a weak power grid. It would also be of some help to people who want a plug-in hybrid but have no place to easily hook up to the grid. (The Solar Energi can also be plugged in if grid current is available.)”