Ford planning for a surprise to the car market
Jun 13th, 2011 | By Angela | Category: Automotive ReviewsBill Ford the Executive Chairman of Ford Motor isplanning for the launch of an entire line of electric cars globally and by 2020 about one-quarter of Ford’s global fleet will be electrified in one way or another. Thus expense with the gasoline and diesel fuels, which we have to face in the future, can be reduced.
For the manufacture of electric cars most fundamental elements of the automobile are being completely transformed i.e. the gasoline engine will be replaced with an electric motor and a battery pack. This year Ford motors will start with an all-electric Ford Focus, followed by a plug-in hybrid and an all-electric version of the company’s new global C-MAX vehicle, a sporty five-seater.
The 2012 Ford Focus Electric is powered by a 100-kilowatt electric-motor with a 23 kWh batter. Working together the system produces 123-hp and 181 lb-ft of torque. Focus Electric can travel at a top speed of 84 mph and has a total range of up to 100 miles on a single charge. With the 240-volt home charging station, the 2012 Ford Focus Electric can reach full charge in 3 to 4 hours. On a standard 120-volt outlet, the Focus Electric will take up to 20 hours.
Ford’s Chairman says that 25% of Ford’s fleet will be electric by 2020. The competitors in the market are GM (General Motors with the Volt) and Nissan (with the LEAF), they already have electric vehicles on the road. An electrified vehicle has some major portion of its power delivery based on electric drive. Electric vehicles will have real-time information flowing through them.
Executive Chairman Bill Ford says that the Asian countries lead the world in the development of the lithium-ion battery and will likely retain that lead if the U.S. Government does not aid the American battery industry.
In future cars they may be using GPS and Wi-Fi technologies that will be able to talk to one another in real time, share information on traffic jams and other relevant data, all in the name of eco-friendliness. The system will warn you when another car runs through a red light in an intersection, giving you enough time to brake and avoid a collision
A “smart” electrical grid and the creation of millions of car-charging stations in garages and in public spots across U.S are needed to establish the electric cars. Governments and utility companies is needed to create the information technology tie the entire system together.
China’s growing energy demand and the increasing challenge to find more oil with high price makes the future very dangerous. So the customers are trying to find more fuel efficient vehicles. The Chinese government now predicts that 5 million electric vehicles will be on their roads by 2020.
Beijing and the regional governments are heavily subsidizing electric cars with cheap loans and subsidies. They have a huge number of government scientists involved in battery research at a scale no private company could match.
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