DETROIT — Ford Motor Co. is launching an aggressive plan to bring pure battery-electric vehicles, next-generation hybrids and a plug-in hybrid to market during the next four years. The plan was unveiled this week at the 2009 North American International Auto Show.
"Ford is heading in the direction America and our customers want us to go, which is a green, high-tech and global future," said Ford Executive Chairman Bill Ford. "I think that is where society would like to see the entire industry go, and Ford is going to lead that charge."
Ford said it will introduce in North America a new battery electric commercial van in 2010. In addition, a new battery electric small car in 2011 is being developed jointly with Magna International. The company also plans to introduce next-generation hybrid vehicles, including a plug-in version by 2012.
The company said these new vehicles pave the way for additional applications in the future, using Ford’s high-volume global small car and midsize car platforms.
"Next-generation hybrids, plug-in hybrids and pure battery powered vehicles are the logical next steps in our pursuit of greater fuel economy and sustainability," said Derrick Kuzak, Ford’s group vice president of Global Product Development. "A growing number of consumers want that kind of choice, and we want to be in a position to deliver it to them across multiple vehicle categories."
Ford is partnering with high-tech companies to bring electric-powered vehicles to market quickly and affordably. Yesterday, the company announced a new collaboration with Magna International to bring a new lithium ion battery-powered small car to market in North America in 2011.
The new electric vehicle will have a range of up to 100 miles on a single charge, without using a single drop of gasoline.
"We strongly believe in collaboration because it drives innovation up and keeps costs down," said Don Walker, co-CEO of Magna International. "Bringing a fully functional electric vehicle quickly to market that meets customer expectations in terms of cost and performance is a great testament to both our companies’ expertise and collaborative efforts."
Ford already has other collaborations and partnerships to accelerate the commercialization of electrified vehicles, including partnerships with Southern California Edison and the Electric Power Research Institute; an "Eco-Partnership" in China; a collaboration with Tanfield in the U.K. and several other projects.
