As Ford prepares for the full market launch of its first electric car, the Focus EV, over at BusinessGreen, they’ve discovered that the US carmaker is planning to make the model to order to reduce its risks in its first EV venture.

Having already begun limited production to deliver models to corporate customers including Google and Microsoft, the car maker is to increase manufacture of the model this year, with the car available in 19 markets across the US by the end of the year.

Speaking to BusinessGreen at the Cleantech Forum in San Fransisco, Mike Tinskey, director of vehicle electrification for Ford said the company had already received plenty of pre-orders for the car ahead of its public launch next month, although he would not reveal the precise number. Comparing the firm’s approach to EV production to the make-to-order computer firm Dell, Tinskey said it would ‘de-risk’ the venture into electric cars for the company.

Ford dealers will stock a demonstration model in showrooms for customers to try with orders being completed in around four to six weeks. 

Unlike other car makers who have ventured into electric car production, Ford will produce the electric version of its popular Focus model on the same production line as the standard combustion version, Tinskey reveals.

"There are simply too many variables impacting the market that we have no control over, so this gives us real flexibility,” he explains. “If the price of crude rises and demand for EVs climbs we can produce more EVs and fewer gas vehicles."

The new Focus Electric features a 23kWh lithium ion battery and has a top speed of 84 mph. Capable of an equivalent of 105mpg (EPA rating) on a combined cycle, the model can be fully recharged in around three to four hours using a 240 volt charge station. It won’t arrive in Europe until 2013.

Read the full article on BusinessGreen.

The latest edition of the popular Ford Transit commercial van (pictured) is set to be greener than ever thanks to the addition of a 3.5litre EcoBoost V6 engine and an all-new diesel engine.

The latest Transit models, which are scheduled to begin production in 2013, will offer a fuel economy improvement of at least 25 per cent.

At the Automotive Press Association conference in Detroit, Kevin Koswick, a director for Ford’s North American fleet, lease and remarketing operations, commented that customers will have a range of options to reduce their fuel consumption through the brand ranging from hybrid and plug-in hybrid models; to battery electric; biodiesel; CNG/LPG; and more.

In addition, Ford has developed a new tool aimed at optimising fleet purchases based on specific fuel types and operating locations. Known as the Vehicle Emissions and Fuel Cost Calculator, it has been designed to assist fleet customers with their carbon footprint and models various scenarios to help them choose the right vehicles for their fleet.

As an example, it can show how operating an electric vehicle in Portland, Oregon, has different environmental ramifications compared to operating an electric vehicle in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This is due to the use of hydropower in the Pacific Northwest, which reduces carbon dioxide emissions.

Ford has doubled the size of its development teams focusing on fuel saving technologies over the last five years, with plans to expand further this year.

Engineers at Ford’s facilities around the world have been working on fuel-saving technologies like EcoBoost turbocharged engines, plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles. In the US, the firm is converting one of its largest research and development labs as it continues to hire for further fuel-saving advancements.

The US firm’s team of more than 1,000 engineers working on hybrid and electrification programs – including Fusion Hybrid and Fusion Energi plug-in hybrid – has grown so fast that the company has announced plans to convert a 285,000-square-foot Advanced Engineering Center at its Dearborn, Michigan facilities to electrified vehicle development.

“Ford remains absolutely committed to providing a wide range of choices of top fuel economy solutions for our customers – from EcoBoost-powered gasoline vehicles and hybrids to plug-in hybrids and full electrics,” said Mark Fields, Ford president of The Americas. “To meet growing demand for our fuel-efficient vehicles, we are continuing to invest in new jobs in the U.S. and converting our facilities for further advancements.”

The new jobs are part of Ford’s plans to add more than 12,000 hourly and salaried jobs by 2015 in the United States. The company also has announced it is tripling production capacity of its hybrid, plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles in the US next year compared with 2011.

From EcoBoost to hybrids and from plug-in hybrids to full electric vehicles, this year Ford will offer nine vehicles reaching an anticipated 40 mpg or more (US economy rating).

With figures in excess of 85mpg, it’s no wonder we’ve been talking about the Ford Focus ECOnetic for a while (see article) – and now production of the vehicle is under way.

The car, which boasts CO2 emissions of just 87g/km, is powered by a 1.6litre Duratorq TDCi diesel engine and provides 205Nm of torque. It is available in both three-door and five-door models; and boosts the environmental performance of the ECOnetic technology by more than 12 per cent.

Of course it is packed with ECOnetic technologies, including: auto start-stop; revised gear ratios; regenerative charging; improved efficiency of both the air conditioning and the cooling fan; a lower suspension; low-rolling resistance tyres; and EcoMode.

It is expected that half of all Ford cars sold in Europe will carry the ECOnetic badge by the end of 2012.

With yesterday’s announcement of a three pence per litre rise in fuel duty set for August, it is likely that ever more motorists will be looking to make their fuel go that bit further.

Ford reckons it has the solution with its latest Fiesta Econetic model now capable of returning 85.6 mpg according to the official combined efficiency rating.

With emissions of just 87g/km CO2, the latest Fiesta Econetic is also exempt from road tax and the London congestion charge, making it more affordable to run.

The US car maker has made better economy a focus of its development strategies with its average fleet emissions reducing from 154.5g/km in 2006 down to just 134g/km today. As the best-selling brand in the UK, Ford has focused much of its development of the next generation of fuel-efficient cars right here, using British expertise to refine its diesel and petrol engine technology. A team of more than 2,000 Essex-based engineers lead the development of the company’s latest fuel-sipping engines.

Six years ago the best a Ford Fiesta could achieve was 65.1mpg, a Ford Focus could do no more than 51.4mpg and the Ford Mondeo 44.1mpg. Today, alongside Ford Fiesta’s 85mpg, this year’s Ford Focus ECOnetic is also road tax and congestion charge-exempt at 83.1mpg (88g CO₂/km) and a 65.6mpg (114g) Ford Mondeo is available as both a five-door and estate.

All these models are diesel, featuring Ford’s acclaimed 1.6-litre TDCi engine assembled at Dagenham at the site’s wind-powered plant.

For petrol fans, Ford’s new 125 and 100PS 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine debuting in the Ford Focus achieves up to 58.9mpg (and as low as 109g/km CO₂), which still saves on road tax in the first year.

Mark Ovenden, Ford Britain managing director, said:  "We cannot influence how the cost of motoring changes as a result of today’s Budget, but we will continue to design, develop and market innovative vehicles that minimise the cost of motoring for today’s families.  Our cars are fun to drive, stylish and packed with technology, while returning up to 20mpg more than just a few years ago."  

The boys in blue are also the boys in green – at least if the latest police cars from Ford are any indication.

The new Ford Police Interceptors manage to increase fuel economy by 25 per cent compared to the previous Ford Crown Victoria. However, what is even more remarkable is that, with many police vehicles spending a lot of their time idling, fuel economy during idling has actually improved by 35 per cent.

With no sacrifice to their performance during pursuit, Ford engineers have managed to save even more fuel when idling. It is estimated that the average police vehicle wastes half a gallon of fuel during each hour it idles.

However, at the base of the new Ford Interceptor is a 3.5litre V6 engine that delivers 288hp and fuel economy of 18mpg city and 26mpg highway. Compared to the Crown Victoria, it has improved city fuel economy by 4mpg and highway fuel economy by 5mpg – yet it manages to offer 38 more horsepower. It also uses 35 per cent less fuel when idling compared to the outgoing 4.6litre V8 engine in the Crown Victoria. Indeed when it is idling no energy is consumed by the steering system until an officer turns the steering wheel – with other improvements including optimising the air conditioning compressor.

Included in the Ford Interceptor engine is a double overhead cam; as well as twin independent, variable camshaft timing; and four valves per cylinder. It includes a torque sensing all-wheel-drive system as standard.

Buyers of Ford’s new Focus Electric in the US state of California will be able to take advantage of access to High Occupancy Vehicle lanes (HOV) as well as an additional tax incentive of $2,500.

This means that drivers will be able to knock as much as $10,000 off the list price of the new $39,995 car after including a $7,500 federal tax incentive for green cars.

Newly-launched in the states of New York, New Jersey and California, the Focus Electric has already been named America’s most fuel-efficient five seat car, with a 110MPGe city economy rating from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Now qualifying for the California’s Clean Vehicle Rebate Program (CVRP), buyers of the electric car will be able to claim an additional $2,500 rebate when the car is purchased or leased for 36 months or longer.

Set to expand its market availability in the US from later in the year before arriving in Europe from 2013, the Focus Electric boasts a top speed of 84mph and a range of around 100 miles. Ford says its first, fully-battery electric model is more convenient  than its Nissan Leaf rival, offering more passenger space and capable of a full recharge in four hours using a 240v charger.

Ford say that the Focus will offer its drivers tremendous savings, with the electric car costing around $1 and $2 for a full, overnight charge in California compared to a cost of around $10 to cover the equivalent full-charge range in a gasoline model.

The EPA-approved Focus Electric label also claims that drivers could save as much as $9,700 in fuel costs over the course of five years compared with the average new vehicle.

The most fuel efficient five passenger vehicle on the market – that’s the tag that the Ford Focus Electric can lay claim to after it was certified by the EPA.

According to the EPA, the Focus Electric achieves 110mpg city and 99mpg highway – that’s a combined cycle fuel consumption of 105mpg.  

In addition, the EPA label suggests the car has a range of 76miles on a single charge – that puts it ahead of the Nissan LEAF at 73miles. In fact, depending on driver habits, the Focus Electric could even be driven up to 100miles on a single charge – well above the 29miles the average driver covers in a day. It also outlines that customers can save $9,700 in fuel costs over five years compared to the average new vehicle.

Among the features that help the Ford Focus Electric achieve these remarkable figures is an advanced charging system – it can recharge the battery in full in just hours. As an added bonus, to further reduce charging costs at home, there is a value charging feature from Microsoft that helps owners to charge their vehicles at the cheapest utility rates.

Production of the Ford Focus Electric is expected to increase throughout the year and by the end of 2012, it will be available in 19 markets across the USA.

The world could become crippled by congestion if car makers, governments and telecommunications fail to work together to create an inter-connected transportation networks, Chairman of Ford, Bill Ford explained during his keynote speech at the 2012 Mobile World Conference in Barcelona yesterday.

As the number of cars in the world is projected to grow from around one billion today to around 4 billion by 2050, transport networks and vehicles need to become integrated using smart technology to avoid so-called ‘global gridlock’, the Ford chief asserted.

Speaking at the tech event, he explained that it was the telecommunications industry that was ‘critical for the creation of an inter-connected transportation system’  that would help prevent a future where huge traffic jams ‘wastes time, energy and resources and even compromise the flow of commerce and healthcare’.

Revealing the car maker’s ‘Blueprint for Mobility’, the Ford said: “The cooperation needed between the automotive and telecommunications industries will be greater than ever as we prepare for and manage the future.  We will need to develop new technologies, as well as new ways of looking at the world.“

Addressing Mobile World Congress delegates, Ford also took the opportunity to announce that AppLink, a feature which delivers voice control of smart phone apps from the driver’s seat, is being introduced globally as part of the SYNC voice-control and in-car connectivity system.

Using the event to launch its new Blueprint plan for a future where intelligent cars will talk to one another as well as the infrastructure around them, the car maker revealed how traffic jams are already causing problems, especially in some of the world’s most densely-populated cities where car ownership is growing. In Sao Paulo, traffic jams regularly exceed 100 miles and the average commute lasts between two and three hours a day. Despite this, car buying is growing at a rate of 7.5 per cent annually. In China, the world’s longest period of gridlock was registered at 11 days during 2010.

But the problem is not restricted to emerging markets, either. For example, it is estimated that the cost of congestion to the economy in the UK through lost time will rise to around £22 billion annually by 2025. In Germany, sustaining a town of 300,000 people is estimated to require 1,000 truck deliveries daily, making a free-flowing transport network essential.

In the future Ford hope to see a working global transportation network that utilises communication between vehicles, transport infrastructure and individual mobile devices to keep traffic flowing.

With new hybrid versions of the Fusion and C-MAX vehicles on their way, Ford has revealed details of its new hybrid system – featuring its third generation powersplit system.

The system has been optimised for class leading efficiency with Ford deciding to downsize the engine from a 2.5litre Atkinson engine to a 2.0litre Atkinson engine. The potential loss of power has been compensated for thanks to a new lithium-ion battery pack and increased electric power from the motor and generator.  The final system delivers 140kW of power from a combined engine peak power of 105kW and a 35kW battery. Ford expects the Fusion Hybrid to offer 47mpg city.

As for the powersplit architecture, it represents more than eight years of hard work from Ford and consists of two electric machines that are connected to the engine and wheels thanks to a single planetary gear set. They can operate on either power source in optimum arrangement with four modes of operation: electric drive; engine drive – positive split; engine drive – negative split; and regenerative braking.

Thanks to the use of the third generation system, Ford has been able to reduce engine runtime by around 30 per cent; while also increasing its all-electric speed range up to 62mph. Also improved is the brake specific fuel consumption.

The efforts to optimise the hybrid system are just part of Ford’s approach to improving the economy of its vehicles. It has also introduced improved aerodynamics to the new Ford Fusion Hybrid, which offers a 10-15 per cent drag reduction compared to the outgoing product thanks to its body design and an active grille.