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Ford To Unveil Solar Hybrid Concept Car At CES

Ford plans to unveil at this month's International CES gadget show a solar-powered concept car that offers the same performance as a plug-in hybrid but without the need for a plug. The C-Max Solar Energi Concept car uses a gasoline engine combined with a gizmo that acts like a magnifying glass to concentrate the sun's rays on the vehicle's roof-mounted solar panels. The automaker says the vehicle's estimated combined city-highway mileage is 100 miles (160 kilometers) per gallon. The U.S. auto maker says that by using solar power instead of an electric plug, a typical owner will reduce their annual greenhouse gas emissions by four metric tons. The company says it sold about 85,000 hybrid or electric vehicles in 2013, including 6,300 units of its C-Max Energi plug-in hybrid. The sun-ray concentrator was developed by researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology and uses what is known as a Fresnel lens, which concentrates light but can be made thinner than a conventional lens. A full day of sunshine is equivalent to a four-hour battery charge, or 8 kilowatts, Ford says. On a full charge, it should have a range of 620 miles (997 kilometers), the same as the C-Max Energi. The concept car also comes with a plug-in port for standard electric charging. Ford says that 75 percent of all trips made by an average driver could be powered by the sun. After showing off the concept car at the convention in Las Vegas Jan. 7-10, Ford Motor Co. says that it will test the vehicle with institute researchers to determine if it's feasible for mass production. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Related Gallery 2013 Ford C-Max Energi Test Drive View 9 Photos Green CES Ford Alternative Fuels Fuel Efficiency Solar Cars solar car

How the Ford F-150 SVT Raptor became a reality

The camouflaged Ford F-150 SVT Raptor prototype captured above blazing its way across the desert during a test run left company engineers giggling in amazement, reveals Jamal Hameedi in a new Autoweek video. Ford's global performance vehicle chief engineer, accompanied by senior exterior designer Bruce Williams, sat down with the publication to discuss the concept and development of the automaker's super off-road F-150.
Designing a high-performance pickup in 2008, right when the cost of gasoline was going through the roof, seemed insane at the time, but the team pushed forward with the innovative vehicle regardless. The interview includes plenty of Ford B-roll footage as visual candy, and the conversations include discussions about exterior design, ride comfort, anti-lock brake tuning, suspension engineering, weight reduction and why it was necessary to make the Raptor visually different than Ford's standard F-150. The model's origin story is very interesting, and you can learn more about it by watching the video below.

Ford recalls 2017 Lincoln Continental for headlight problem

Ford Motor Co. is already recalling the 2017 Lincoln Continental for a headlight problem, the automaker announced Tuesday. The HID headlights may have been assembled with LED lens that don't have the correct lens optics to meet federal visibility requirements for turn signals. Ford says it is unaware of any accidents related to the issue. The company will replace the headlamp assemblies, if needed. The safety compliance recall covers 1,876 Continentals built from June 14 to Sept. 23 at Ford's Flat Rock factory south of Detroit. Most of the cars are in the United States; 49 are in Canada, and one is in a federalized territory. Only about 300 cars are in consumers' hands, a spokesperson said. Customers can use a Lincoln service program where dealers will pick up their Continental, fix it for free, and return it, the spokesperson said. Lincoln has high hopes for the Continental. The flagship sedan uses one of Lincoln's most iconic names and features a luxurious interior, available 400-horsepower V6 engine, and safety features like adaptive cruise control and a 360-degree camera. Lincoln recently announced an elaborate marketing campaign shot by renown photographer Annie Leibovitz to generate interest in the Continental. In a separate recall, Ford also said Tuesday that 60 Edges from the 2015-16 model year are being recalled to update their antilock braking system module. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2017 Lincoln Continental Campaign View 12 Photos Recalls Ford Lincoln