After its rivals hit the market first with new, electrified vehicles late last year, Ford Motor Co. (F) is striking back Monday by expanding its lineup, including the introduction of the auto maker's first plug-in compact minivan.

At the North American International Auto Show here Monday, Ford is unveiling its new C-Max minivan--albeit more compact than a traditional minivan--in three versions: a gas-powered engine model already on sale in Europe, a gas-electric hybrid version of the five-passenger van using a lighter, smaller lithium-ion rechargeable battery and the company's first plug-in hybrid called the Energi.

(This story and related background material will be available on The Wall Street Journal website, WSJ.com.)

Last week, Ford Chief Executive Alan Mulally unveiled a fully electric version of its Ford Focus, a compact sedan that could compete with Nissan Motor Co.'s (NSANY) new Leaf, which also runs solely on battery-electric power. The all-electric Focus will hit the North American market late this year and come to Europe in 2012. General Motors Co. (GM) began selling its new Chevy Volt last year, the industry's first, mass-produced plug-in hybrid from a leading manufacturer.

"One technology does not work for all customers--hybrids, plug-in hybrids and all-electric vehicles each offer distinctly different advantages," Derrick Kuzak, Ford's group vice president of global product development, said in a statement. "By leveraging our global platforms, we are able to offer our customers more choices of electrified solutions as part of a fuel-efficient product lineup."

But the Dearborn , Mich. , auto maker's commitment to the endeavor is unclear as company officials have yet to detail how many of these electrified vehicles they intend to build in the coming years. Both GM and Nissan have said they expect sales in the tens of thousands, including producing as many as 60,000 Volts next year.

Ford claims an advantage in an expected worry from owners over how far the car can go on a single charge. According to the car company, the C-Max Energi can drive more than 500 miles of overall driving range using the battery and gas-powered engine--more than any other plug-in or extended-range electric vehicle. It was unclear under what driving conditions that range is estimated.

Both the Focus and the C-Max, as well as one additional unnamed hybrid, will be built off the same basic architecture, allowing the company to benefit from economies of scale of more than 2 million vehicles assembled annually for 120 markets while reducing development and manufacturing costs. Ford believes this class of compact car has enormous potential: It accounts for one in four cars sold worldwide today and, together with subcompacts like the Ford Fiesta, is expected to rise to 50% of all cars sold globally by 2013, according to Ford projections.

With small volumes expected on these new electric cars, competition for early adopters for the pricey technology could be fierce. Ford said that its plug-in hybrid version of the five-passenger C-MAX will achieve better energy efficiency--a mile-per-gallon equivalent better--than Chevrolet Volt as well as charging in half the time of a Nissan Leaf.

Ford's roll-out of five new hybrid and electric passenger vehicles began in December with the 2011 Ford Transit Connect Electric. In many ways, Ford is outsourcing production of the variant of its small commercial van, allowing a separate electric motor to be installed by Azure Dynamics.

By 2013, Ford plans to introduce an additional, still unnamed hybrid vehicle. Each of the new electrified vehicles will be equipped with technology so that owners can keep track of the vehicles functions, including charging levels and range, remotely through their smart cell phones.

Both the C-Max Energi and C-Max hybrid models will be built alongside the redesigned Ford Focus and Focus Electric at the auto maker's assembly plant in Wayne , Mich. , starting next year, followed by Europe in 2013.

Διαβάστε ακόμα