In an effort to shift from gas to electric powertrians, Ford says it vastly increasing its lithium-ion battery development efforts. Ford hopes to offer the majority of its vehicles with electric drivetrains within the next decade, with battery technology being a major pillar of that plan.
Ford says it has partnered with a number of suppliers and universities for its lithium-ion battery development, with the first evidence of those partnerships to surface next year. “Ford is strongly positioned to accelerate its electric vehicle strategy this year thanks to the significant research we’ve already completed,” Susan Cischke, Ford group vice president in charge of sustainability, environment and safety engineering, told The Detroit News. “Our collaborative work with suppliers and partners will help us be one of the first automakers to bring the next generation of personal transportation to market.”
Ford ’s first electric vehicle will be a BEV version of its Transit van, set to hit the market in 2010. The Transit is slated to use next-generation lithium-ion batteries.
Following the launch of the Transit EV, Ford is expected to launch a number of other battery-powered vehicles, along with next-generation hybrid vehicles. Ford says its lithium-ion batteries will be 5 percent more efficient that its current crop of nickel-metal hydride, and will also be 30 percent cheaper to produce.
