Ford Investing Billions on EV Program

Announcing the additional investment in electric vehicles in the next five years, Ford said that the investment will ensure that electrified vehicles comprise more than 40 percent of the company’s global models by the end of the decade.

The program will also cover the new Ford Focus Electric that will come out next year replete with a new DC fast-charge capability, that is claimed to charge 80% of the battery in 30 minutes (two hours faster than the current version), with a projected range of 100 miles (161 km).

The new electric Focus will come with an EcoGuide LCD Instrument Cluster helping the driver see real-time EV power usage to maximize vehicle efficiency.

It is important to point towards the fact that Ford now sells electric, hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions of its Focus, Fusion and C-Max sedans.

The first of those will be the new Focus Electric, which will start production late next year for Europe and North America.

If you had doubts about Ford’s commitment to electric vehicles, then maybe CEO Mark Fields can remove them. The company also announce it would change its focus from the vehicles themselves to the customer experience. The batteries for plug-in hybrids are not as heavy or expensive as those required to deliver 200-mile or more range in an all-electric vehicle.

“The challenge going forward isn’t who provides the most technology in a vehicle but who best organises that technology in a way that most excites and delights people”, said Raj Nair, executive vice president of product development at Ford, in a statement.

“This new way of working brings together marketing, research, engineering and design in a new way to create meaningful user experiences, rather than individually developing technologies and features that need to be integrated into a final product”. Nair added that part of the effort is to inform and educate the buyers about the battery-electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids in particular and hybrids as well, the report added.