BOSTON--Ford Motor expects to manufacture as many as 2 million all-electric and gas-electric vehicles in the next 10 years, betting that rising oil prices and consumer interest will sustain a long-term transition to new technologies.
The company has set a goal of making 10 percent to 25 percent of its fleet "electrified" by 2020, which represents somewhere between 800,000 and 2 million cars, said Nancy Gioia at a media event here on Wednesday. Ford announced on Wednesday that Gioia will hold a newly created position of director of global electrification, which covers hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and battery-electric vehicles.
Plug-in electric vehicles promise to offer a much lower cost-per-mile than gasoline cars and deliver substantial environmental benefits. But in the near term, hybrids will likely represent the largest volume in the mix of technologies, said Gioia at the event.
"We've finally demonstrated the technology, the life, the durability, the safety (of hybrids)--all of that has reached a comfort zone to make it viable. Now it's going to be affordability that will drive mass market adoption," she said.
A demo of a Ford Focus, done with Magna, that runs on batteries alone. Ford plans to introduce the car in 2011.
(Credit: Martin LaMonica/CNET)
Brabus added its own touches to this Tesla Roadster.
(Credit: CNET)
As is becoming common at auto shows these days, a number of electric cars were on display at the Frankfurt auto show, with automakers showing off research into next millennium's generation of vehicles. On hand were concepts from Peugeot, Renault, Audi, Volkswagen, and Ford. Two entrants from Tesla were on hand, one a Roadster tuned up by Brabus, the only current production car available out of this lot, and the other the upcoming Model S, expected to begin production in 2011.
The cornerstone of Ford's sustainability strategy--a more efficient engine design called EcoBoost--will be available for the first time in the coming weeks.
The EcoBoost technology combines direct fuel injection and a turbo charger to improve the fuel efficiency of comparable cars between 10 percent and 20 percent. Ford decided that it's the cheapest route to improved mileage, noting that consumers will recoup the additional cost of the EcoBoost option in two years.
The elements of Ford's EcoBoost technology are already built into vehicles from other manufacturers. What's significant about Ford's plans is that it plans to make it available on half of a million vehicles by 2013, making it an option on 90 percent of its car models by then.
"EcoBoost kept rising to the top as the most effective way to get fuel economy improvements over competing options such as hybridization and diesels," said Dan Kapp, director of advanced power trains at Ford. "It very quickly went from an effective performance improvement option on big vehicles to something to build our strategy around."
In its first incarnations, EcoBoost will be offered with high-end versions of Ford's midsize sedans and crossover SUVs. Over the coming months, the technology will be including the 2010 Lincoln MKS, Lincoln MKT, Taurus SHO, and Flex.
Rather than get a V8 engine with the "performance" models, consumers will get a six-cylinder engine with the EcoBoost, which improves performance as well as fuel economy, said Kapp. For example, Ford will offer a six-cylinder F-150 pickup with EcoBoost in 2010 as an alternative to a V8 model.
Over time, the engine will be fitted into smaller cars. Instead of a V6 engine, the high-end model of sedans will have a four-cylinder engine with EcoBoost. "It's an enabler to downsize our engines," Kapp said. The carbon dioxide emissions from EcoBoost engines are 15 percent lower than comparable engines, according to Ford.
Ford is still developing alternative power train technologies, including diesels and hybrid cars. It recently released a hybrid version of the Ford Fusion sedan and has plans to introduce both plug-in electric hybrids and all-electric vehicles in the next two years.
But in the short term, EcoBoost is more attractive as the smaller engine that EcoBoost allows offsets the added cost, Kapp said. Meanwhile, hybrids cars have a longer payback, on the order of 8 to 10 years depending on gasoline prices, he added.
In the coming years, Ford also envisions combining EcoBoost with hybrids although there would need to be significant modifications to get more than incremental improvements, he said.
Spark plugs, patented by Robert Bosch and Nikola Tesla in 1898, are about to be replaced by lasers.
(Credit: Sonett72)Say goodbye to spark plugs, a 19th century technology about to be supplanted by lasers. The U.K. paper The Telegraph reports that Ford is working with the University of Liverpool to develop a laser ignition system for internal-combustion engines. That's right: engines with frickin' lasers strapped to their heads.
The laser beam is delivered by a thin, fiber-optic cable to a focusing lens that would take up much less space than a spark plug, allowing engineers greater flexibility in designing valves and cylinders. The laser beam can be split to ignite the fuel mixture from multiple points deep in the cylinder, making for a more efficient burn than a spark plug can achieve, reducing emissions and getting better fuel economy. Another advantage to the laser system is that part of the beam can be reflected to a receiver and used to gather data on the fuel mixture and the quality of the burn.
And this isn't merely a research project, as there are working prototypes of the system at the University of Liverpool laboratory. Ford, which has eagerly been adopting fuel efficiency technology such as electric-power steering and six-speed transmissions, reportedly will use the laser ignition system in some of its cars over the next couple of years, then spread the technology to the full range.
(Source: The Telegraph)
Nissan demonstrates a viable electric power train in this test mule.
(Credit: Antuan Goodwin/CNET)Updated at 11:35 a.m. Tuesday with further loan details.
The U.S. government, which plans to kick-start development of a new generation of fuel-efficient automobiles through the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan Program, announced on Tuesday some loan application winners.
Ford Motor gets loans totaling $5.9 billion, going to a variety of fuel efficiency initiatives, while a $1.6 billion loan to Nissan is intended to help it refit a Tennessee plant for electric car production.
Tesla Motors is also a winner under the program, getting a $465 million loan, most of which will be used to build production facilities for the recently announced Model S electric sedan.
The $25 billion Advanced Technology program has been in discussion for some time, and automakers have been lining up to get loans under the program. A stipulation that only viable companies can get loans under the program caused General Motors and Chrysler's applications to be turned down, though both companies have developed hybrid and electric-car platforms.
Ford announced plans earlier this year to release an electric vehicle in 2011, co-developed with parts supplier Magna Steyr. The company will use its loans to produce that vehicle, along with a commercial electric vehicle based on its Transit model in 2010.
Nissan has been one of the leaders among the major automakers in advancing a pure electric car, promising to make one powered by a lithium ion battery pack on U.S. roads in 2010.
As a technology demonstration, Nissan has shown its EV-02 test mule to journalists, an electric car using the Nissan Cube platform, getting a range of about 100 miles. The company is designing its Tennessee plant to produce 150,000 electric cars per year, and associated battery manufacturing will produce 200,000 lithium ion packs per year. The plant is slated to begin production in 2012.
Other aspiring automakers still await a decision. One such applicant, Indiana-based Bright Automotive, plans to build a commercial plug-in hybrid electric vehicle for fleet use. The company has received no word or time line on its application.
(Credit:
Corinne Schulze/CNET)
We were expecting a lot from the Mercury Milan Hybrid. After having briefly driven the Ford Fusion Hybrid, we had an idea iof what to expect from the power train, and we've also seen Ford's killer combination of Sync and Sirius Travel Link in a few cars over the last year. But we didn't realize what a car tech dream the Mercury Milan Hybrid would be.
The first clue it gives comes from the high-tech instrument panel, with a variety of virtual gauges that you can configure. Then there's the phone and MP3 player connectivity offered by Sync, along with its incredible voice command system. Sirius Travel Link mixes traffic, fuel prices, and weather into the navigation system. And finally, the driving experience, with its excellent fuel economy and seamless transition between electric and gas.
The Mercury Milan Hybrid is a remarkable car, and we've rated it appropriately.
This 2007 Ford Mustang has been converted to an electric vehicle by start-up Plug-in Motors.
(Credit: Plug-in Motors)A fully electric passenger vehicle from Ford is still a couple years away, but in the mean time, Plug-In Motors --a Missouri-based start up-- has been developing the process and technology to convert existing Mustangs and F150 trucks their current conventional powertrain to one that's all-electric.
But the cost of this environmentally conscious move doesn't come cheap. These comprehensive conversions can cost $75,000 for a Mustang or F150 with an 85-mile range or $125,000 for a 200-mile range.
The high price tag is a result of the top-of-the-line components used by Plug-in Motors, says CEO Kurt Neutgens, who spent 17 years as engineering manager at Ford. The powertrain parts are sourced from the same company that Telsa uses, and the selected batteries are expected to last approximately 200,000 miles for the 85-mile range conversion and 400,000 miles for the 200-mile range conversion. The company's electric motors will last approximately 1 million miles, Neutgens claims, and the regenerative braking is affixed to the accelerator, which extends the life of the brakes.
These durable components don't come cheap, and Neutgens is hoping economies of scale kick in soon. But in the mean time, you have to start somewhere, he says.
Closing the affordability gap are state and federal tax credits, he points out. Colorado grants an 85 percent tax break on the cost of conversions, and Oklahoma grants a 50 percent tax break. Factor in the $7500 federal tax credit, and the cost to convert a Mustang or F150 is reduced to $14k and $28k respectively.
That means that the payback can be less than 50,000 miles at $3 per gallon of gasoline, and even sooner if fuel prices rise in the near future. Neutgens maintains a list of many of the electric and plug-in vehicle tax break incentives on his website.
For early adopters who can't wait for Ford to roll out an all-electric product of their own, he's arranged partnerships with three Ford dealerships in Colorado and Oklahoma willing to sell and service his converted vehicles.
Source: Cleantech Group
This Nissan test mule demonstrates an electric powertrain.
(Credit: Nissan)
Change tends to come slowly in the automotive industry, but the pace of electric car development has picked up fast. Major automakers are promising electric cars for sale to the public by 2011 and earlier. Nissan, Mitsubishi, and Ford are all moving ahead, forcing other automakers to get on the ball.
Current battery technology makes a range of 100 miles the magic number to hit, so this first batch of modern electric cars may struggle to gain wide acceptance. But as people find the cost of ownership to be far less than their old gas guzzlers, the popularity of these electric cars for commutes and errands around town is sure to increase.
Ford's Michigan Assembly Plant in city of Wayne.
(Credit: Ford Motor)Ford Motor plans to spend $550 million to retool its Michigan Assembly Plant so it will be capable of producing its new line of Ford Focus cars, the company announced Wednesday.
More than $160 million of the money Ford plans to invest in the Wayne, Mich.-based plant will come from tax credits and grants from the state of Michigan, Wayne County, and the city of Wayne.
The rebuilt plant, which Ford expects to support more than 3,000 jobs, will produce the new Ford Focus, and, eventually, the battery-electric version of Focus that the company plans to begin producing in 2011 for a 2012 release.
About 155 jobs will be salaried positions, and 3,180 jobs will be hourly worker positions at the Wayne location, according to Ford.
"This is about investing in modern, efficient and flexible American manufacturing. It is about fuel economy and the electrification of vehicles," Ford President and CEO Alan Mulally said in a statement.
The Michigan Assembly Plant (formerly known as the Michigan Truck Plant) originally opened in 1957 and has produced the Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator, as well as the Ford Bronco and Ford F-Series, according to Ford.
The Michigan change is part of Ford's plan to convert three of its North American plants so that it can introduce six small cars to the American market by the end of 2012. The other two plants undergoing renovation are the Cuautitlan Assembly Plant in Mexico, which will begin producing the Ford Fiesta in 2010, and the Louisville, Ky., plant, which will begin producing cars build with the Ford Focus platform starting in 2011.
It's not every day that you get to drive an all-electric car and a brand new gas-electric hybrid. But that's just what I did last week when I took both the Electric Mini Cooper and 2010 Ford Fusion for a spin.
The two cars represent two technical approaches to gaining fuel efficiency through bigger car batteries.
Like the Toyota Prius, the newly released Ford Fusion is a gas-electric hybrid that drives primarily on the gas engine, supplemented by a nickel-metal hydride battery. By contrast, the Mini Electric, which will start to be leased to drivers next month as part of a trial, runs entirely on lithium-ion batteries, the latest battery technology.
The trade-offs of both approaches are pretty apparent. The Fusion gets over 40 miles per gallon and it's more or less like any other car you've driven: you fill it up with gasoline and it goes.
The Mini Electric, on the other hand, sacrifices the entire back seat for its battery pack. That allows it to go 100 miles on a charge--sufficient for most daily driving. But two of its advantages are that you never go to a gas station and there are no emissions from the car itself.
Meanwhile, there's yet another technology in the mix--what General Motors calls a range-extended electric vehicle or what engineers call a series hybrid (as opposed to a parallel hybrid). In that case, an internal combustion engine does nothing but charge the batteries that propel the car.
On the road
There's a lot of focus on how lithium-ion batteries are paving the way for cars with a longer range (although cost is still a serious concern). But in both the Ford and the Electric Mini, there are a number of other fuel-saving tricks at work.
The big one is regenerative braking, where the battery charges when the driver presses the brake. The Ford Fusion didn't feel very different from any other automatic transmission car. But the regenerative braking in the Electric Mini was different. When I took my foot of the accelerator, the car slowed significantly. It's noticeable but something that I got used within a few minutes of riding.
Automakers say a key component to mainstream electric car adoption is an in-board feedback system that lets drivers know how to maximize their efficiency. This is probably old hat to Prius drivers looking for ways to save on gas. But it becomes particularly important in all-electric cars, as automakers don't want drivers getting stuck with an empty battery and no place to charge.
The Ford's dashboard LCD shows when you're using the gas motor and when you're running on battery. The way to optimize for efficiency is to get to cruising speed and then tap the brakes to charge the battery, I was told. The car also has an on-dash rating system that displays a plant sprout. More leaves distinguishes the hypermilers from the lead-foots.
The Electric Mini feedback system is pretty simple: how much juice you have left is on the front dash while another meter shows whether you're drawing from or charging the battery.
How did these autos drive? For somebody with admittedly pedestrian taste in cars, I thought they both were great to drive.
If I had to pick, I'd say the Mini is more fun simply because it's a small car with a lot of pep. But then again, without a back seat to speak of, you're not going to bring your Saint Bernard to the beach in an Electric Mini.
Representatives from Ford and BMW were kind enough to hold the video camera while I drove these cars around the block in California last week and to answer my questions about what's under the hood. You can see the Ford Fusion video here and the Electric Mini video here.
