Ford’s quest to produce many more fuel efficient vehicles is unfolding before our eyes as the subcompact Fiesta gradually makes its way to showrooms across the United States. Come this fall, the next generation Ford Focus will go into production with a pure electric version arriving in 2011. In 2012, Ford will introduce a pair of new hybrid models and roll out a plug-in hybrid vehicle.
Lest we forget, a battery powered version of the Ford Transit Connect will appear this summer, an electric commercial van for business consumption.
Battery Supplier
Yesterday, Ford announced that it has selected Compact Power, Inc., a subsidiary of LG Chem to supply lithium-ion battery packs for the electric Ford Focus. LG Chem is one of the largest producers of lithium-ion batteries in the world; CPI is its North American division formed in 2000 and based in Troy, Michigan.
“CPI is an emerging leader in the lithium-ion battery field and we are pleased to have them as a strategic supplier as we prepare to bring the Ford Focus Electric to market,” said Sherif Marakby, Ford director, Sustainable Mobility Products and Hybrid programs. “We are moving aggressively with our electrification strategy and our work to help make Michigan a center of excellence for a range of electrified vehicles.”
Electric Range
Ford claims that the electric Focus Focus will have a targeted range of up to 100 miles per full charge with zero tailpipe emissions. That range will match what the Nissan Leaf offers, a pure electric car set to hit the market this fall about the same time as the Chevrolet Volt, an electric car with a backup 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine.
Focus Electric will be built in Wayne, Michigan at Ford’s Michigan Assembly Plant. Previously, Ford announced plans to pour $550 million into Michigan Assembly Plant to transform it from a large SUV factory to a contemporary automotive plant designed to build the new Focus and Focus Electric.
The Wayne plant will also build a next-generation hybrid and a plug-in hybrid in 2012. Yes, each model will be built off the company’s new global C-car platform — can you sayelectric Lincoln?
