Ford Debuts Solar-Roof Concept

Ford Motor Co. has unveiled a concept version of its $33,000 C-Max plug-in hybrid that is equipped with solar panels on the roof capable of recharging the car's lithium-ion battery.

The company will publicly debut the Solar Energi concept MPV during the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas Jan. 7-10.

Ford says the system delivers the same performance and 620-mile range of a conventional C-Max Energi plug-in. The standard plug-in delivers a combined 188 hp via a 2.0-liter Atkinson-cycle 4-cylinder engine and 7.6-kilowatt lithium-ion battery.

The rooftop system is roughly 2 inches thick and covers the entire roof from windshield to rear hatch. It incorporates solar cells supplied by California-based SunPower Corp. and Fresnel lenses developed at the Georgia Institute of Technology that amplify the sun's radiant energy by a factor of eight.

Ford says the lenses help the solar array generate 8 kilowatts per day, about the same as four hours of conventional recharging.

Following the CES unveiling, Ford and Georgia Tech will test the Solar Energi concept in a variety of real-world conditions to determine whether the system is feasible for use in production vehicles.