Photo: Ford
Ford Motor Company has decided to ante up its EV game. By 2020, the Blue Oval will invest $4.5 billion in the development of electrified vehicle solutions. The first product of the new initiative is the next Ford Focus Electric, due to be launched on November 1, 2016. The car has an all-new DC charging system that allows charging 80% of the battery's capacity in just 30 minutes.
Ford already announced a projected 100-mile range for the upcoming Focus Electric. Since the car will be able to quick-charge 80% of its battery capacity in an estimated half an hour, this could mean that the juice pumped into it could be enough for an 80-mile drive.
If the onboard energy recovery system gets the chance to recover kinetic energy usually lost while braking, the half-hour charge could take the Focus Electric much further than 80 miles.
While half an hour is a lot compared to a regular fill-up and the DC-to-DC charging solution isn't the newest idea on the block, we have to admit that this is a first for an affordable mass-market production electric vehicle.
Clearly, Ford didn't spend $4.5 billion just on developing a new Electric Focus, but its intentions involve a whole range of EVs. Furthermore, the American brand plans on evolving its battery technology and expanding its EV portfolio into several growing markets. A part of this development will take place at the University of Michigan, where Ford invested $2.1 million in a battery lab to boost research and development.
Ford intends to add 13 new EV nameplates to its range by 2020. The company speaks of electrification for more than 40% of its vehicle lineup. This is a huge step for one of the world's biggest carmakers and could set the pace for the other two companies that form Detroit's Big Three. General Motors and Chrysler, the ball is in your court on this one.
If the onboard energy recovery system gets the chance to recover kinetic energy usually lost while braking, the half-hour charge could take the Focus Electric much further than 80 miles.
While half an hour is a lot compared to a regular fill-up and the DC-to-DC charging solution isn't the newest idea on the block, we have to admit that this is a first for an affordable mass-market production electric vehicle.
Clearly, Ford didn't spend $4.5 billion just on developing a new Electric Focus, but its intentions involve a whole range of EVs. Furthermore, the American brand plans on evolving its battery technology and expanding its EV portfolio into several growing markets. A part of this development will take place at the University of Michigan, where Ford invested $2.1 million in a battery lab to boost research and development.
Ford intends to add 13 new EV nameplates to its range by 2020. The company speaks of electrification for more than 40% of its vehicle lineup. This is a huge step for one of the world's biggest carmakers and could set the pace for the other two companies that form Detroit's Big Three. General Motors and Chrysler, the ball is in your court on this one.
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