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Auto Focus

By Julie Cridler
Senior Market Analyst, IRN Inc.
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Much of the media focus on electric vehicles is centered on the all-new “ground-up” models like the Nissan Leaf or the upcoming Tesla Model S. But other automakers are preparing their strategies and developing products. Ford is no exceptaion. Despite the fact that they do not receive as much publicity in this area, the OEM has actually taken quite an aggressive stance at developing electric drive solutions, although their roadmap for getting there is crafted differently than that of competitors.

Electric drive portfolio

By 2012, Ford says it will have introduced five electrified vehicles — the Transit Connect, Focus Electric, C-Max hybrid, C-Max plug-in hybrid and likely a plug-in hybrid version of the Ford Escape. Ford’s strategy is to offer consumers a wide range of choices of fuel-efficient powertrain technologies. Here are some of the highlights of their electrified product line.

Transit Connect Electric – In December 2010, Ford began producing the Transit Connect Electric. The vehicle went from concept to production in a very short amount of time. Ford worked with Azure Dynamics, Johnson Controls-Saft and AM General on this plug-in van which is targeted for fleets and small business or delivery applications. Azure Dynamics is the manufacturer of record for the vehicle and it is said that only five full-time Ford employees worked on the program. The Transit Connect can travel up to 80 miles between charges. Charging time is between six-eight hours on a 240V charger. When using a standard outlet, it takes 27 hours to reach full charge. The vehicle will reach full production in April 2011 at between 600-700 units annually. The $36,000 price premium over the internal combustion version of the delivery van is likely to be a deterrent to some customers.

Ford Focus Electric – Ford will launch a pure electric version of the Focus in 19 U.S. markets later this year. The markets were selected based on existing hybrid purchase trends. The Focus Electric will be capable of traveling up to 100 miles on a single charge, using a 23-kilowatt lithium ion battery. The company has received some criticism for the fact that the vehicle will be launched without fast-charging capability. It is likely that Focus buyers will ultimately have a choice between hybrid, plug-in hybrid, pure electric, or efficient gasoline engine versions of this particular nameplate.

Ford C-MAX Energi – Ford will introduce a plug-in hybrid version of the C-Max small minivan, to be known as the C-Max Energi, in 2012 as a 2013 model. In addition, a traditional hybrid version of the vehicle will also be available. The C-Max Energi will have both a gasoline engine and an electric motor powered by a lithium ion battery. Reportedly, the vehicle will have a range of up to 500 miles with the battery and gas engine combined. The vehicle will be built at Ford’s Wayne, Mich., assembly plant.

A different approach

Some of the recently launched and upcoming pure electric models (Nissan Leaf and Tesla Model S) were designed to be dedicated platforms, rather than adapting an existing model to accommodate an electric drive powertrain. Ford’s strategy, on the other hand, has been to electrify existing models.

The rationale behind their philosophy touts several advantages. First, Ford believes that they will make money on their electric drive products sooner than companies developing them from scratch, as they are able to spread the development costs over greater volumes. At the same time, the company can market its electric vehicles under nameplates that are already well-known, thus building on momentum they have already generated. Similarly, the products can be built alongside their non-electric sister models thereby giving Ford greater flexibility in shifting its production mix as needed.

While they relied heavily on outside assistance for the Transit Connect Electric, Ford’s future plans call for in-house expertise in this area. Executive Chairman William Clay Ford Jr. stressed the importance of this at a press conference at the North American International Auto Show in early January.

With its aggressive product launch plans and its strategy to offer a range of powertrain options so that there is something to meet a wide spectrum of needs, Ford is quietly positioning itself to become the mainstream automaker with the broadest array of electrified vehicle options beyond traditional hybrid technology.

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