As part of its bid for a share of the $25 billion in low-interest loans Detroit automakers are requesting this week of the United States Congress, Ford Motor Company says it intends to speed up production of fuel-efficient hybrid and electric vehicles. Ford is set to introduce two new hybrids — the Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan — in early 2009, but the automaker says that’s just the beginning.
Ford plans to launch its first battery electric vehicle (BEV), a battery-powered commercial van, likely based on the upcoming Ford Transit Connect and a battery-powered sedan by 2011. A full line of plug-in electric vehicles and hybrids are on the drawing board, scheduled to be in dealers by 2012, Mulally said in an interview with the Wall Street Journal.
In the interim, Ford has a lot riding on the upcoming Fusion and Milan, both of which were unveiled at last month’s Los Angeles Auto Show. The Fusion and Milan can accelerate to 47 miles per hour on solely electric power, Ford says, enabling the sedans to achieve about 38 mpg on the highway.
