Forget longtime crosstown rivals GM and Chrysler. Ford has Toyota in its sights in its battle for fuel-efficiency supremacy. The Dearborn-based automaker recently boasted that its new 2103 C-Max Hybrid beats the almighty Toyota Prius in mpg. Now Ford is claiming a new fuel-efficiency title with its C-Max Energi plug-in hybrid -- and, of course, comparing it to the Prius Plug-in.

Ford revealed that the Energi has been rated by the EPA at 100 mpg equivalent (mpge) combined, making it "America's most fuel-efficient plug-in hybrid," according to the automaker. This compares to the Prius Plug-in’s 95 combined mpge and the Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid’s 98 combined mpge.

But even though it achieves a few more mpge than its rivals, the C-Max Energi will face a small potential plug-in market and will also have to play catch-up when it goes on sale later this year.

The cutting-edge vehicles aren’t exactly flying off dealer lots, since plug-in technology is still relatively new and consumers are confused about everything from charging to "range anxiety." Toyota sold 1,652 Prius Plug-Ins last month (compared to a total of 18,932 for all Prius models). Chevy sold 2,851 Volts in September, while the non-plug-in version of the C-Max Hybrid sold 969 units during the same period.

And although the Ford C-Max Energi has better mpge numbers than the Prius and Volt plug-ins, will mainstream consumers even notice -- or care?

[Source: Autoblog]