Ford Motor said today that it is investing $4.5 billion in electric vehicles by 2020.
Ford is adding 13 new EVS, which means more than 40% of the company’s global nameplates will come in some sort of electrified versions, defined as hybrid, plug in hybrid or pure EVs.
Currently in the U.S these types of vehicles account for less than 3% of the booming light vehicle market, globally even less. Therefore other factors are in play here – the pending interim review of U.S. CAFE standards; the outcome of the global climate change talks in Paris; marketing concerns over the fuel consumption of the F-Series, the world’s best selling pickup truck, to name a few.
First up is a new Focus Electric, with an all-new DC fast-charge capability delivering an 80% charge in an estimated 30 minutes and projected 100-mile range – an estimated two hours faster than today’s Focus Electric that has performed dismally in the marketplace.
Focus Electric in production late next year will provide North American and European customers with – we didn’t make up the following marketing babble:
- SmartGauge with EcoGuide LCD Instrument Cluster with customizable displays that can help the driver see real-time EV power usage to maximize vehicle efficiency.
- Brake Coach that coaches the driver on how to use smooth braking to maximize the energy captured through the Regenerative Braking System. The more energy a driver captures through braking, the more energy is returned to the vehicle’s battery.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
