Ford on Board for Fleet Electrification

Ford has been selected for two grants from the Department of Energy (DOE) under stimulus funding for the Fleet Electrification program. The program is designed to accelerate viable commercial volumes of electrified vehicles and vehicle to grid infrastructure development.

One grant, for $30 million dollars, will help fund Ford’s collaboration with utility partners across the nation – with an expansion of a vehicle demonstration and grid integration program.

In addition, Ford will receive a $62.7 million DOE grant for production of an electric-drive transaxle for its hybrid vehicles at the Ford Van Dyke transmission manufacturing facility in Sterling Heights, Mich. This grant will be matched by Ford.

Getting charged up

The DOE grants announced this week support Ford’s aggressive vehicle electrification strategy, which includes the introduction of battery electric vehicles (BEV), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) and next-generation hybrids (HEV).

The vehicles include:

• Ford Transit Connect BEV small commercial van in 2010
• Ford Focus BEV passenger car in 2011
• Next-generation hybrid in 2012
• Plug-in hybrid in 2012

DOE grant funds also will support production of electric drive system components at Ford partner Magna, for the Ford Focus BEV as well as Johnson Controls, Inc. which will supply batteries for Ford’s plug-in hybrid vehicle in 2012.

Power through partnerships

Commercialization of battery electric vehicles is a critical element for improving U.S. energy security and reducing greenhouse gas emissions with sustainable transportation. It requires collaboration between automakers as the vehicle providers, utilities as the fuel providers and the government in support of advanced technologies for the mass market.

Ford was the first automotive manufacturer to partner with the utility industry in a shared effort to understand all of the issues related to PHEV technology and its interconnectivity with the electric grid.

Ford’s key utility partners include:

• Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI)
• Southern California Edison
• New York Power Authority
• Consolidated Edison of New York
• American Electric Power of Columbus, Ohio
• Alabama Power of Birmingham, Ala.; and its parent, Atlanta-based Southern Company
• Progress Energy of Raleigh, N.C.
• DTE Energy of Detroit
• National Grid of Waltham, Mass.
• Pepco Holdings
• New York State Energy and Research Development Authority, a state agency

Ford also has announced key collaborations with:

• Smith Electric Vehicles, Europe’s leading battery electric commercial vehicle upfitter engaged by Ford to help bring the Transit Connect BEV, a small commercial van, to market in 2010
• Magna International, the supplier jointly developing the Ford Focus BEV passenger car for 2011
• Johnson Controls-Saft, the battery supplier for Ford’s first production PHEV coming to market in 2012

QUOTES

“Broad commercialization of electric transportation is not something a car company can achieve on its own. Producing the vehicles is not enough to create a viable market. For widespread adoption, the infrastructure to support the technology needs to be in place, we need to ensure that the national electric grid can support increased electric demand by the vehicles, and we need to ensure that electrified vehicles provide a real value for consumers.”
– Sue Cischke, Ford group vice president, Sustainability, Environment and Safety Engineering

Governor Granholm Takes a Ride in Ford Battery Electric Vehicle

When Michigan’s Gov. Jennifer Granholm arrived at Cobo Conference and Exhibition Center in Detroit for a tour of the 2009 North American International Auto Show it was in a battery electric Ford Focus demonstration vehicle driven by Nancy Gioia, director, Sustainable Mobility Technologies and Hybrid Vehicle Programs.

“At first, she was surprised that it wasn’t merely a concept car, but actually a road-ready demonstrator of battery electric vehicle technology,” Gioia says. “I think she was wowed by how it’s quiet, smooth and fun to drive – that it’s a no compromise driving experience.”

Gioia told the governor about Ford Motor Company’s aggressive plan to bring a family of electric vehicles to the North American market by 2012. Ford will introduce four new vehicles in four years including a new battery electric commercial van in 2010, a new battery electric small car in 2011 to be developed jointly with Magna International, a next-generation hybrid vehicle, and a plug-in hybrid by 2012.

Granholm was reportedly impressed that Ford’s battery-powered small car planned for 2011 has a targeted range of up to 100 miles on a single charge, without using a single drop of gasoline.

Gioia and Granholm also discussed what Ford’s plan could mean for Michigan in terms of technology development, engineering and potentially manufacturing both on the vehicle level and component level.

“She’s very excited that Ford is leading the way in the electrification of vehicles,” Gioia says. “She also kidded me that I drive too fast, but I wanted to be sure she knew how peppy this electric vehicle is.”