Ford confirms electric Transit Van
Feb 10, 2009 Auto Tech, Green Technologies
Ford Transit
Ford has now confirmed that it will bring an electric version of its Transit Connect to the market in 2010. Ford will be partnering with Smith Electric Vehicles in the development of EVs.
Smith Electric Vehicles of the UK has already developed battery-powered Transit derivative.The model touted as Ampere adds a 24 kWh lithiun ion-iron phosphate battery pack to the Transit Connect. The standard 2.0L engine is replaced by a 50 kW electric motor. Together, these systems translate to a range of about 100 miles on a charge with top speeds of 70 mph. The Ampere has a payload capacity of 1,764 lbs. Expect similar perfomance from the Ford.
Ford also has plans to sell a new battery electric small car in 2011 and a plug-in hybrid from 2012. It selected its partner for plug-in batteries recently and that led to stronger rumours of an electric Transit. Even if the EV goes not give 100 miles with heavy payload, many people will find it useful. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: electric vehicles, Ford
Ford selects battery suppliers for its plug-in hybrid
Feb 4, 2009 Auto Tech
Ford Fusion
Ford, the financially soundest carmaker amongst the Detroit Big 3 and whose new Fusion hybrid is gaining good press reviews, has announced deals for battery and utility support for its plug-in hybrid programme.
Ford announced that Johnson Controls-Saft will supply the complete battery system for Ford’s first production plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) beginning in 2012. Ford has been testing a few plug-in versions of its Escape hybrid (which was the car of choice for US president Obama), so 2012 seems like a long time, especially since Chevrolet Volt will become available from 2010.
But there are other goodies coming as well. Ford has plans of bringing a full battery electric vehicle (BEV) van to market in 2010 for commercial use, a small BEV sedan developed jointly with Magna International by 2011 aprt from the PHEV by 2012. Read the rest of this entry »
Detroit Motor Show’s green highlights
Jan 13, 2009 Auto Tech
Cadillac Converj
ike most recent motorshows, various manufacturers showcased their existing and upcoming green plans in the ongoing Detroit Motor Show. Even in this gloomy financial environment, not many are daring to abandon research into more efficient and alternate fuel vehicles.
GM showed Cadillac Converj, with Chevy Volt underpinnings. Chrysler turned up with the Jeep Patriot extended range EV. Toyota had the new Prius gracing its stands, along with the FT-EV all electric concept and Lexus HS 250h. Read on for more details! Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Chrysler, Detroit, Ford, GM, Honda, Hybrids, Lexus, Tesla, Toyota
What cars did the Big 3 CEOs drive to Washington?
Dec 9, 2008 Auto Tech
Rick Wagoner -- GM
With the US Congress finally deciding on some sort of bailout for the carmakers GM, Ford and Chrysler, we look back at what their CEOs drove to the Congressional hearing this time, after being castigated for flying private jets.
Robert Nardelli of Chrysler drove his company’s Aspen Hybrid S.U.V., which gets 22 miles a gallon on the highway and 20 in the city. Alan Mulally of Ford drove an Escape Hybrid S.U.V. — 31 m.p.g. on the highway and 34 in the city. And Rick Wagoner of General Motors drove a Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid Sedan. His was the most efficient on the highway, averaging 34 m.p.g., but only 26 in the city.
Compare this with Toyota Prius — averages 48 m.p.g. in the city and 45 on the highway — and we begin to comprehend how much the Big 3 has to play catchup. And then there are many diesel hatchbacks in Europe and Asia that do better than what these people drove in.
Now even electric carmakers are touting falling sales figures to seek aid from the Congress. Please one and you have to try to please them all.
Tags: Chrysler, Ford, GM, US Congress
Big 3 honchos driving green vehicles for the Congressional hearing in US
Dec 4, 2008 Auto Tech
Ford Escape Hybrid
After being ridiculed during US Congressional hearings for bailout proposals for arriving in private jets, the CEOs of GM, Ford and Chrysler have had the good sense of planning their next arrival in Washington in greener cars.
Alan Mullaly of Ford is scheduled to drive down from Detroit in a Ford Escape Hybrid, a model which was used by Barack Obama. GM head honcho Rick Wagoner will drive from Detroit to Washington in a Chevrolet Malibu hybrid and then make the intra-city trip in a Chevrolet Cruze with the upcoming Chevrolet Volt underpinnings.
That leaves the people from Chrysler, which is yet to make public its choice for the CEO trip to Washington.
Ford Fusion hybrid seen at the LA Show
Nov 20, 2008 Auto Tech
2010 Mercury Milan
Braving its financial troubles, Ford showed off its next generation Ford Fusion and its sibling, the Mercury Milan, with the hybrid options in the range being the show stealer. Specs include The details include a 700-mile range from the more efficient 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine paired with an electronically-controlled continuously variable transmission (e-CVT), “innovative new SmartGauge™ with EcoGuide (that) coaches hybrid drivers to maximize fuel efficiency” and lots of small improvements like a new high-efficiency converter.
Part of the LA Autoshow, Ford claimed that with this car, Ford will become the largest manufacturer of hybrids in North America and crowed that the Fusion is 6 miles per gallon more fuel efficient than its rival Toyota Camry hybrid. The car is expected to be available from Spring of 2009. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Ford, hybrid, LA Auto Show 2008
Tesla haggling for a piece of bailout funds
Nov 19, 2008 Auto Tech, Stars, Policy and Finance
Tesla Motors
Times are bad. Whatever industry you are in. Does not matter if you make gas guzzlers or electric cars. Does not matter if you are part of “Bug 3″ or a startup yet to start full scale production. So folks at Tesla Motors has gone to Washington,asking for government money, part of the $25 billion fund being debated by US lawmakers to help out the auto industry.
Tesla Motors has already raised about $180 millions till now and wants to get government loans at concessional interest rates.They would need that to develop its planned $70000 sedan and future model lineup to supplement its Roadster electric sportscar. Read the rest of this entry »
New hybrid from Ford
Nov 4, 2008 Auto Tech, Green Technologies
Ford has unveiled the images and specs for the 2010 Ford Fusion in US and promised a hybrid delivering around 38 mpg in town. It borrows a few parts from the Escape bin, but the size, weight and presumably the cost of the battery pack has been substantially reduced. The cells are nickel metal hydride supplied by Sanyo (as in Escape), but they produces 20 percent more power than before. The total number of cells has been reduced by 20 percent keeping the capacity at 1.3 kWh, the same as in the Escape.
The changes to the battery mean that the pack is now 30 percent smaller in volume than the Escape pack, and weighs 23 percent less. It also means the pack no longer needs its own air conditioning system like the one in the Escape. Instead, cabin air can be routed through the pack to keep it cool. The pack integration was done by Delphi while Ford engineers handled all the battery management software and electronics internally. There is a Variable Voltage Contoller for optimising the power usage as well.
The motor power is now up to 93 kW compared to the 70 kW output of the Escape With the on-demand voltage increase of the VVC, the new motor can now drive the Fusion and its planned Mercury sibling, Milan on electricity alone at speeds up to 47 mph. even after all this, Ford expects to get 38 mpg ratings in the city, better than Honda and Toyota. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Ford, Ford Fusion, Hybrid cars, Hybrids