Ford to release two EVs and three new hybrids by 2012 Ford Invests $135 Million, Adds 220 Electric-Car Jobs (Update2) - Bloomberg.com
Awesome news. I'll believe it for real when I see it for real. But I will blindly believe Ford before I would certain other manufacturers.
Well...It's about time they do away with Expedition, Excursion, Explorer, ex-crap type vehicles if they want to survive.
More details and longer article: The Associated Press: Ford to add 170 jobs for hybrid and electric cars
According to another Wall Street Journal article behind their paywall: "Ford engineers in Dearborn, Mich., will design the battery packs while engineers in Livonia, Mich., will design electric-drive transmission parts for its next-generation hybrids. Those vehicles will be based on Ford's midsized and large sedans and will begin production in North America in 2012, the company said." "Midsized and large sedans." Sounds to me like they are going to do a re-design of the Fusion platform (which is midsize), and maybe put a hybrid drivetrain into their full-size (large) sedans like the Taurus. That'd be cool.
Ford killed the Excursion in 2005 and has been second only to Toyota in hybrid technology. Honda may make great cars but they have no full hybrids yet.
First time I'm hearing about a PHEV in '12. This is in comparison to $5B investment by Nissan/Renault. Somehow I'm not impressed.
The Taurus is now apparently the "large-size" sedan successor to the Crown Vic line. In fact, the new Taurus is what the new Ford police interceptor will be built on: 2012 Ford Taurus Police Interceptor Revealed! The NYPD has been experimenting with hybrid police cars and it seems to have been a success, with three types currently in service (Nissan Altima Hybrid, Prius and Ford Escape Hybrid) and soon an order of 200 Fusion Hybrids to join the NYPD fleet. It is entirely possible a Taurus Hybrid would make it into police car fleets around the country. That'd be cool.
focus will be a plug in hybrid. nissan/Renault do very different accounting than ford. Nissan is betting a lot on the leaf. Ford is investing a great deal on a world car platform in the focus, with ev, phev, hybrid, and standard gas options. Time will tell.
