Ford says it is adding new green jobs, doubling its battery-testing capabilities and speeding electrified vehicles to market by at least 25%, creating more fuel-efficient choices for customers.
Ford is investing US$135m in the design, engineering and production of key components – including advanced battery systems – for its next-generation hybrid-electric vehicles going into production this year.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Discover B2B Marketing That Performs
Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.
Ford is dedicating a 285,000-square-foot research and development lab in Dearborn, Mich., to focus almost entirely on hybrids and electrification. The building formerly known as the Advanced Engineering Center is renamed the Ford Advanced Electrification Center and houses most of the 1,000 engineers working on hybrid and electrification programs.
Ford recently told just-auto that by 2020 it expects 10-25% of its sales to be electrified vehicles – BEVs, hybrids and plug-in hybrids – versus 1% now.
In the latest announcement, Ford also says its battery-testing capabilities will double by 2013 – to a total of 160 individual battery-test channels.
See also: INTERVIEW: Kevin Layden, Director, Electrification Programs & Engineering, Ford
