Electric Vehicles - Growing Presence on European Roads

With the cost of fuel skyrocketing around the world, and more consumers becoming conscious of the negative impact cars have on the environment, car manufacturers focus their production efforts on new full-electric vehicles as well as new hybrid models. Ford Motor Company has had development plans in the works for environmentally friendly vehicles to be increasingly prevalent on the roads for years-particularly in North America. As one of the many initiatives Ford is currently taking in the quest to provide the public with more fuel-efficient alternatives for vehicles, the company is promising to introduce five full-electric and hybrid vehicle models in Europe by the year 2013. This plan is part of Ford's global electric vehicles plan. Electric and hybrid vehicles will greatly reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions as well as reduce fossil fuel consumption.

While protecting the environment should be at the forefront of what people look for in purchasing a new vehicle, the hybrid car movement is still rather new, and the full-electric vehicle is still somewhat of an abstract concept to many consumers. According to a survey done by consumer reports, price, range and overall performance are generally top considerations for most consumers in the market when buying a new vehicle. Another consideration for people who would possibly consider buying an electric vehicle, is the accessibility of electric charging stations-people are more likely to buy, if they know it would be easy to "charge up" the vehicle conveniently. Ford, however, has a vision to bring a wide range of top performing fuel-efficient, "green" vehicles to millions.

John Fleming, Chairman and CEO, Ford of Europe and Executive Vice President of Global Manufacturing and Labour Affairs, stated in a press release, "These new advanced technology models are key to Ford's commitment to delivering a portfolio of alternative power train vehicles globally and to European customers in the next few years,"

The first full-electric car to be launched as part of Ford's agenda is the Transit Connect Electric. This vehicle is a compact van, commonly used for workers that need to carry excessive cargo. The idea is that electric charging stations will be housed at the workplace for employees to charge-up before going on their route of daily work tasks. This full-electric vehicle was featured at the New York Auto Show in 2010. It is said to have a 40 KW, 300-volt Siemens electric motor, and a lithium-ion battery to power the vehicle for an estimated 120,000 miles total. With an 80-mile range, the Transit Connect Electric vehicle is said to be a "smooth, quiet ride" by a test driver. When connected to a 240-volt outlet, the vehicle would take six to eight hours to be fully charged.

The next car in Ford's electric vehicle line up for its global electric vehicles plan will be the Ford Focus Electric, coming out in 2012. This vehicle will be powered 100 percent by lithium-ion batteries. The result of an all-battery powered vehicle is zero emissions. The range reaches 100 miles, and with a 220-volt outlet, takes six to eight hours to reach a full charge. The car will also have a handy interface which tells the driver specific details about the battery charge and range. The Focus is a compact electric vehicle with a modern exterior.

"Ford is committed to help lead the way to find creative solutions and ensure that electrified vehicles can deliver benefits to our customers, the environment and our business around the globe in a sustainable way," stated Nancy Gioia, Ford Director of Global Electrification.

Ford will then launch two versions of the C-MAX-a hybrid-electric version and a plug-in hybrid-electric version-in 2013. The C-MAX will be the first hybrid-electric vehicle model launched in Europe, and the first model to utilize Ford's new 1.6-liter EcoBoost 4-cylinder engine. The traditional gas-fuelled C-MAX is a seven-seat vehicle that was launched in North America for the 2011 model year. A smaller version will be developed for the hybrid-electric and plug-in hybrid-electric versions releasing in Europe. The Ford plant in Valencia, Spain will be building the vehicles, which will be for the European market only. Fleming said, "The Hybrid-Electric and Plug-In Hybrid-Electric derivatives of the all-new Ford C-MAX are great news for the Valencia plant and region, for Spain, and for Ford customers across Europe."

The last remaining hybrid-electric vehicle due to launch by 2013 is still yet to be determined. However, the launch of all five hybrid and electric vehicles have caused much hype since Ford originally announced its plan.

Laura Clapper is an editor at Business Review USA, a pioneering digital media site for professionals and executives that have an interest in high grossing businesses and corporations within the USA. Through its Business Review USA Digital Magazine, online website, daily news and weekly e-newsletter, Business Review USA helps executives stay up-to-date by focusing on leadership, finance, technologies, and operations within the manufacturing, supply chain, construction, and energy industries.

Growing Popularity of the Electric Vehicle

A commonly heard marketing ploy in today's society is "going green". It affects the cleaning products we use, the produce we buy and even the type of automobile we select. Of course, this Green Technology does have its benefits-one of which is cleaner air as a result of vehicle emissions test. As auto developers began looking for other ways to improve transportation technology, electric cars and hybrid vehicles started appearing more frequently on the market.

And, while many may believe that the electric automobile is a relatively new approach to auto transportation, in reality, it has been around for many years. In fact, it was actually first used by Camille Jenatzy in 1899 to power his rocket shaped vehicle which could reach speeds of 105.88 mph. More interesting, is that in 1897, there was a fleet of electrical taxis used in New York City. The cars were built by the Electric Carriage Company of Philadelphia. In addition, electric vehicles were also produced by American company, Anthony Electric and included vehicles like the Studebaker, Riker and the Milburn in the early 20th century. The electric cars, and later trucks, grew in popularity and by the turn of the century there were nearly 34,000 (38%) registered in the U.S. with sales of electric autos peaking in 1912.

Despite the use of electric auto technology (such as it was) being early on in vehicle history, it took a bit of a backseat for a number decades until the 1990s, when at the Los Angeles Auto Show, General Motors revealed the GM Impact electric car and announced that GM would be building electric cars for the public. These electric cars would promote California's "Clean Air Act" promoting more fuel efficiency and lower emissions. Typically, the cars were design for 2 people. The concept began to catch on, and before long other auto makers such as Nissan, Tesla and Li-ion Motors (Mooresville, NC) began developing electric cars of their own.

At Tesla Motors auto specialist introduced the Tesla Roadster in 2008 with other electric cars (also referred to as electric vehicles or EVs) to follow. In June of 2009, BMW began field testing the electric Mini-E in the Los Angeles and New York-New Jersey areas. Then, in August 2009 the Nissan LEAF was launched as the first all-electric 5 door family hatchback produced for the mass market; the LEAF has a range of 100 miles and is comparable to the Ford Focus EV. In addition, the Nissan Leaf was named the 2011 European Car of the Year by Auto Scribes. Other electric cars that should soon be available include the Toyota FT-EV slated for 2010, the 7-seater Tesla Model S planned for late 2011 and the Renault Fluence for 2011. There are other electric cars slated for release in the near future, but at this point many of them are still in the design and trial stage.

It should also be pointed out that while environmentally friendly, the electric car does pack a punch in regards to price. Electric automobiles can range in cost from $25,000 to well over $100,000-depending on make, model, and passenger potential and how long the car can travel between needing to be recharged. However, those in favor of the EV point out that these automobiles do not require oil changes and other engine related needs.

The electric vehicle is no longer an uncommon sighting when traveling around town. No, it has not become the norm, nor is this mode of transportation without its share of pros and cons, but it is growing in popularity-especially in states such as California where the emission standards are much higher. The automobile industry is always looking for better and more efficient ways to travel, and right now, the electric auto is definitely a part of that venture.

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