Photo courtesy of Ford .

Photo courtesy of Ford.

Ford Motor Co. will show an innovative solar-powered C-Max Energi plug-in hybrid concept vehicle at the Consumer Electronics Show this month, the automaker announced Thursday.

Ford added a 1.5 square-meter solar roof array to the vehicle that was developed by SunPower and the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Photo courtesy of Ford .

Photo courtesy of Ford.

The concept car's rooftop solar panel system draws power from the sun with a special Fresnel lens similar to a magnifying glass that boosts sun power by a factor of eight, according to Ford. The Fresnel lens is a compact lens developed for use in lighthouses.

The system tracks the sun as it moves east to west, drawing enough power to equal a four-hour battery charge. With a full charge, the C-Max Solar Energy Concept has a total range of 620 miles, including 21 electric-only miles.

The vehicle will be shown at CES from Jan. 7-10.

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