American car giant Ford has finally come clean over its electric car plans with news of their developmental BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle) car program announced at the Frankfurt Motor Show.
Revealed alongside the Tourneo Connect BEV (seen earlier in the year at Geneva) the Focus BEV is the blue oval's take on the electric-powered family car, featuring the latest lithium-ion battery pack technology, with a capacity of 23kWh and a chassis-mounted 100-kilowatt permanent-magnet electric traction motor. The BEV will have a top speed of 85mph and a range of up to 75 miles. Charging the batteries will take between 6-8 hours using a common 230 volt grid.
"Electrification is key element in the effective use of Ford’s global resources and talents," John Fleming, Chairman & CEO Ford of Europe said. "The development of this fleet of Focus BEV prototypes is an important step in our goal of delivering more efficient and sustainable mobility solutions that are affordable and practical for our customers. We are looking forward to working with the various project partners on developing a realistic solution and viable market for electric vehicles both in the UK and Europe.”
Part funded by the UK government's Technology Strategy Board for the Ultra-Low Carbon Vehicles initiative, the Ford Focus BEV will be produced in very small numbers and used in real life situations during 2010 to access the car and the component technology's suitability. In collaboration with Strathclyde University and Scottish and Southern Energy, Ford will test fifteen prototypes and associated charging infrastructure around the London borough of Hillingdon during the early part of 2010.
Utilising an all new powertrain the car features the latest lithium-ion technology and unlike early generation electric vehicles the Focus still comes with a useful, if reduced space in the boot.
No news as yet to whether the this prototype will see a meaningful production run, however it provides a clear and working example of Ford's work in the electric car field.
- Full electric conversions for the Ford Transit and Transit Connect light commercial vehicles are already available through Smith Electric Vehicles. The Tourneo Connect BEV Concept continues this collaboration between the two companies and indicates how zero-emission technology could be deployed in passenger vehicles for urban applications such as taxis or hotel shuttles.
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