Ford Electric Vehicles to Use Microsoft Hohm

American manufacturer Ford and Microsoft teamed up to offer a platform to help future owners of Ford’s electric vehicles optimize the way they recharge their vehicle and better manage their home’s energy use. The Microsoft Hohm energy management application will be integrated into Ford’s electric vehicles, starting with the Focus Electric next year.

Consumers are likely to turn to hybrid or electric vehicles in the near future, so the two companies thought that making energy management easy and affordable for consumers will be key to the success of electric vehicles in the marketplace.

“Rechargeable vehicles represent a new frontier. Their commercialization will take broad-based collaboration and systems solutions,” Alan Mulally, Ford Motor Company president and CEO, said in a release. “Working together, Ford and Microsoft will provide the systems solutions to help facilitate this exciting future.”

Introducing Hohm will support Ford’s global electrification plan, which includes five new electrified vehicles on the road in North America and Europe by 2013. In North America, they include the Transit Connect Electric later this year, Focus Electric in 2011, a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle and two next-generation hybrids in 2012.

“Electric vehicles will play an important role in the global effort to improve energy efficiency and address the issues of climate change and sustainability,” said Steve Ballmer, Microsoft CEO.

“But as the market for electric vehicles expands, it will have a significant impact on home energy consumption and demand across the nation’s energy grid," continued Balmer. "With Microsoft Hohm, Ford and Microsoft will deliver a solution that will make it easier for car owners to make smart decisions about the most affordable and efficient ways to recharge electric vehicles, while giving utilities better tools for managing the expected changes in energy demand.”