Ford battery electric vehicle (BEV) demonstrators are included in a British project that is part of the UK government’s ultra-low carbon vehicle fleet announced this week.
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With support from utility company Scottish and Southern Energy, a fleet of zero emissions prototype Focus BEVs will be used by both the energy company and a number of evaluation drivers based in Hillingdon, Middlesex, on the western outskirts of London.
A consortium of Ford, Scottish and Southern Energy and Strathclyde University will provide the prototype vehicles and a charging infrastructure in and around Hillingdon from early 2010.
Ford of Europe is developing the prototype BEVs to both participate in the scheme and test the technology’s suitability for potential future application in the European passenger car range, the automaker said.
The BEV demonstrator fleet is being developed partly with public funding from the government’s Technology Strategy Board (TSB), which promotes innovative industry-led projects that reduce CO2 while benefiting the UK’s transport system.
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By GlobalDataFord of Britain chairman Joe Greenwell said in a statement: “Battery electric vehicles represent an important step in Ford’s pursuit of delivering more efficient and sustainable mobility solutions. [We are] looking forward to working with project partners on developing a viable market for electric vehicles both in the UK and Europe.”
London mayor Boris Johnson, said: “I want to make London the electric vehicle capital of Europe and these trials will provide us with valuable information on what is needed to ensure they can become an everyday choice.”
Ford Europe’s work on the electric Focus prototypes complements development previoulsy undertaken for the Tourneo Connect BEV Concept unveiled at this year’s Geneva motor show.
The Tourneo is a passenger variant of the Turkish-built Transit Connect small van which Ford is launching in the US this summer. A battery electric version will follow next year.
Electric vehicles would account for a “major portion” of Ford’s US model line, chief executive Alan Mulally said last March.
Pickup trucks and SUVs currently account for about 60% of the automaker’s US sales but the company has been offering hybrids in the US since 2004. As well as the planned electric Transit Connect, Ford is preparing to launch a battery electric car in 2011 while a ‘range extender’ competitor for GM’s Chevrolet Volt will follow within two years.
“In 10 years, 12 years, you are going to see a major portion of our portfolio move to electric vehicles,” Mulally said at a conference in the US.
Ford of Europe’s BEV programmes are led by its 3,000-employee UK research and development centre at Dunton in Essex.
Dunton develops powertrains for all of the automaker’s vehicles sold in Europe, plus light commercial vehicles including the two Transit lines.
The BEV powertrain for the Tourneo Connect concept was developed with Smith Electric Vehicles, a UK specialist converter of commercial vehicles to electric power.
Smith is part of a separate consortium that has also secured UK government funding to further develop the concept.
Smith currently converts Ford’s larger Transit LCV line to full electric power for sale in the UK and Europe – branding it the Smith Edison.
It also plans to sell the electric Transit Connect van destined for the US in Europe as the Smith Ampere from 2010. It will convert the electric Transit Connect models for sale in North America, also from 2010.
The Tourneo Connect BEV concept has a 21kWh lithium ion phosphate battery pack powering a 50kW permanent magnet motor, with drive transmitted through a single-speed transmission.
This allows a range of up to 100 miles (160km) and a top speed of 80mph (120km/h).
The onboard battery charger can be plugged directly into a standard mains socket, and a full battery charge takes six to eight hours.
The Focus BEV vehicles for the UK trial will use prototype technology announced by Ford at the 2009 Detroit motor show last January and planned for introduction in North America in 2011.
“The development of this fleet is an ideal way to evaluate the potential for this technology in the UK and broader European markets,” added Greenwell.
“By gaining real world experience with a number of prototypes we can look at the practical and business potential for us to develop battery electric cars for the European market.”
Ford noted that London mayor Johnson had been an active participant in its bid with Scottish and Southern Energy.
“The bids were required to show the support of a local government partner to be successful. The mayor has developed ambitious plans to make London the electric vehicle capital of Europe by pledging to deliver 25,000 charging points to form an integrated network across London by 2015, adding 1,000 electric vehicles to the GLA fleet and guaranteeing to retain the congestion charge exemption,” the automaker said.
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