STERLING HEIGHTS, MI - Ford changed its plans for its C-MAX vehicles, dropping the gasoline-only seven-passenger version, to focus on two five-passenger hybrid models.
by Staff
June 9, 2011
The Ford C-MAX lineup will now include two five-passenger hybrid models (one of them being a plug-in hybrid).
2 min to read
STERLING HEIGHTS, MI – Ford Motor Co. changed its plans for the C-MAX lineup, which originally included a seven-passenger gasoline-only version of the C-MAX, to instead offer two five-passenger hybrids, the C-MAX Hybrid, and a plug-in hybrid, the C-MAX Energi, in North America. The automaker cited a general intent to electrify vehicle platforms (rather than single vehicles) as part of the reason for the change in plans. Both vehicles will go into production in 2012.
Ford said it plans to offer a total of five electrified vehicles for North America by 2012. The company’s lineup includes the Transit Connect Electric (on sale now), and Focus Electric for 2011, and the C-MAX Energi plug-in hybrid and C-MAX Hybrid, in addition to another as-yet unannounced next-generation hybrid in 2012.
Ad Loading...
“Customers have come to expect fuel efficiency with every new vehicle Ford delivers today, and now we are further differentiating our electrified vehicle lineup with something else people truly value – choice,” said Jim Farley, Ford’s group vice president of Marketing, Sales and Service. “Whether people want a hybrid, a plug-in hybrid or full battery electric vehicle, we have a family of vehicles for them to consider, providing a range of options to best meet their needs and support their driving habits and lifestyles.”
Ford said its new C-MAX Hybrid is targeted to deliver better mpg than the Fusion Hybrid and is the first of two new Ford Hybrids to use lithium ion battery technology. The company also intends its C-MAX Energi to achieve AT-PZEV status.
In the larger scope of Ford’s operations, the automaker said the change to hybrid-only versions of the C-MAX is part of an effort to boost production capacity of its electrified vehicle lineup, tripling it, through 2013.
Ford said that the five-passenger version of the C-MAX, the base for the C-MAX Hybrid and C-MAX Energi, is popular in Europe, with more than 100,000 models sold since its launch in 2010.
The automaker added that the production of more electrified vehicles is adding 220 jobs in Michigan, 170 jobs at Ford’s Rawsonville and Van Dyke Transmission plants, plus more than 50 new engineers based in Dearborn in the past 12 months.
For fleet managers, fuel is one of the biggest line items in the budget — and it's one hybrids can shrink without changing how your people work. Download the eBook to see the numbers, understand the technology, and get a step-by-step guide to making the switch.
James Victory of NOV discusses how the company manages fleet safety, maintenance, and telematics across more than 150 locations supporting oilfield operations throughout the U.S.
Departmentally assigned vehicles often create hidden costs through underutilization, poor visibility, and increased administrative burden. This white paper explores how shared motor pool strategies help fleets reduce costs, improve accountability, and optimize vehicle utilization.
BBL Fleet expanded its footprint in the fleet management industry with the acquisition of Velcor Leasing Corporation of Madison through a stock purchase agreement finalized Feb. 27, 2026.
Fleet leaders are under pressure to reduce costs, adapt to economic uncertainty, and make smarter decisions. See how peers across North America are responding with real data, proven strategies, and forward-looking insights. Download the 2026 Market Pulse Report to benchmark your strategy and uncover where you can gain an edge.
AI is no longer a future concept for fleets—it’s already embedded in the tools, data, and decisions that operators rely on every day. In this episode of the Fleet Forward Podcast, recorded live at Fleet Forward, industry leaders take the conversation beyond hype to examine what responsible AI adoption really looks like in fleet operations.
