With 100mpg, Ford’s C-MAX Energi plug-in hybrid is 5mpg more efficient than the Toyota Prius, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPS). And it’s a point the company is keen to emphasise. It is also 2mpg better than the Chevrolet Volt.

Last year, the Prius took 54% of alternative powertrain sales in the US according to independent figures, with the rest of the sales divided between 10 other brands.

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The problem facing all car makers is that more people consider a hybrid than actually buy one. Ford’s key point will be that the C-MAX has more power, space and efficiency than the Prius at a lower cost.

According to Reuters, Ford calls potential buyers “optimisers”.

“They’re looking for their dollar to go as far as possible and as smart a way as possible,” Michael O’Brien, Ford’s electrification marketing manager, told Reuters in an interview. “The notion of having MPGe (miles per gallon equivalent) that’s best in class is a terrific advantage.”

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Ford’s emphasis on improving fuel economy while lowering costs has got these ‘optimisers’ interested.

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“Five years ago, the optimisers may not have even had us on their radar screen,” O’Brien said.

Ford recently began selling the C-MAX hybrid and the Energi goes on sale later this year. A plug-in version of the Fusion midsize saloon [US version of the 2013 Mondeo] will go on sale in 2013. The C-MAX plug-in hybrid sells for nearly US$30,000 after a tax credit; the Prius plug-in is $32,000.

To boost efficiency, one design change from the European model is the addition of winglets to the rear corners of the C-MAX to improve aerodynamics, John Davis, chief engineer, said.