Powerful partnerships
In 2007, Ford announced a partnership with Southern California Edison, the electric utility with the nation’s largest and most advanced electric vehicle fleet. The partnership is designed to explore ways to make plug-in hybrids more accessible to consumers, reduce petroleum-related emissions and understand issues related to connectivity between vehicles and the electric grid.
Since then, Ford and Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), an independent nonprofit organization, have expanded the partnership, with a three-year plan to develop and evaluate technical approaches for integrating PHEVs into the nation’s electric grid system, a key requirement to facilitate widespread adoption of the vehicles.
Ford’s key partners include:
* Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI)
* U.S. Department of Energy
* Southern California Edison
* New York Power Authority
* Consolidated Edison of New York
* American Electric Power of Columbus, Ohio
* Alabama Power of Birmingham, Ala.; and its parent, Atlanta-based Southern Company
* Progress Energy of Raleigh, N.C.
* DTE Energy of Detroit
* National Grid of Waltham, Mass.
* Pepco Holdings
* New York State Energy and Research Development Authority, a state agency
* Hydro-Québec, the largest electricity generator in Canada
“Ford’s involvement in the collaboration with EPRI and some of the nation’s leading utilities will help accelerate the pace leading to the commercialization of PHEVs,” said Arshad Mansoor, vice president of EPRI’s Power Delivery and Utilization Sector. “This type of joint effort between an auto manufacturer and utilities will permit a more seamless integration of electric-drive vehicles into the power grid and the transportation sector.”
Ford also has announced key collaborations with:
* Smith Electric Vehicles, Europe’s leading battery electric commercial vehicle upfitter engaged by Ford to help bring the Transit Connect battery electric vehicle, a small commercial van, to market in 2010
* Magna International, the supplier jointly developing the Ford Focus battery electric vehicle passenger car for 2011
* Johnson Controls-Saft, the battery supplier for Ford’s first production plug-in hybrid vehicle coming to market in 2012
Getting charged up
Ford recently was selected for two grants from the Department of Energy under its fleet electrification program. The program is designed to accelerate viable commercial volumes of electrified vehicles and vehicle-to-grid infrastructure development.
One grant, for $30 million, will help fund Ford’s collaboration with utility partners across the nation with an expansion of a vehicle demonstration and grid integration program.
Ford also will receive a $62.7 million DOE grant for production of an electric-drive transaxle that could be used for hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles at Ford’s Van Dyke transmission manufacturing facility in Sterling Heights, Mich. This grant will be matched by Ford.
DOE grant funds also will support production of electric-drive system components at Ford supplier Magna, for the Ford Focus battery electric vehicle, as well as Johnson Controls-Saft, which will supply high-voltage batteries for Ford’s plug-in hybrid vehicle in 2012.
Ford plans to invest nearly $14 billion in advanced technology vehicles in the next seven years, retooling its U.S. plants more quickly to produce fuel-efficient vehicles and help meet the new, rigorous fuel economy requirements.
photo:Ford
In 2007, Ford announced a partnership with Southern California Edison, the electric utility with the nation’s largest and most advanced electric vehicle fleet. The partnership is designed to explore ways to make plug-in hybrids more accessible to consumers, reduce petroleum-related emissions and understand issues related to connectivity between vehicles and the electric grid.
Since then, Ford and Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), an independent nonprofit organization, have expanded the partnership, with a three-year plan to develop and evaluate technical approaches for integrating PHEVs into the nation’s electric grid system, a key requirement to facilitate widespread adoption of the vehicles.
Ford’s key partners include:
* Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI)
* U.S. Department of Energy
* Southern California Edison
* New York Power Authority
* Consolidated Edison of New York
* American Electric Power of Columbus, Ohio
* Alabama Power of Birmingham, Ala.; and its parent, Atlanta-based Southern Company
* Progress Energy of Raleigh, N.C.
* DTE Energy of Detroit
* National Grid of Waltham, Mass.
* Pepco Holdings
* New York State Energy and Research Development Authority, a state agency
* Hydro-Québec, the largest electricity generator in Canada
“Ford’s involvement in the collaboration with EPRI and some of the nation’s leading utilities will help accelerate the pace leading to the commercialization of PHEVs,” said Arshad Mansoor, vice president of EPRI’s Power Delivery and Utilization Sector. “This type of joint effort between an auto manufacturer and utilities will permit a more seamless integration of electric-drive vehicles into the power grid and the transportation sector.”
Ford also has announced key collaborations with:
* Smith Electric Vehicles, Europe’s leading battery electric commercial vehicle upfitter engaged by Ford to help bring the Transit Connect battery electric vehicle, a small commercial van, to market in 2010
* Magna International, the supplier jointly developing the Ford Focus battery electric vehicle passenger car for 2011
* Johnson Controls-Saft, the battery supplier for Ford’s first production plug-in hybrid vehicle coming to market in 2012
Getting charged up
Ford recently was selected for two grants from the Department of Energy under its fleet electrification program. The program is designed to accelerate viable commercial volumes of electrified vehicles and vehicle-to-grid infrastructure development.
One grant, for $30 million, will help fund Ford’s collaboration with utility partners across the nation with an expansion of a vehicle demonstration and grid integration program.
Ford also will receive a $62.7 million DOE grant for production of an electric-drive transaxle that could be used for hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles at Ford’s Van Dyke transmission manufacturing facility in Sterling Heights, Mich. This grant will be matched by Ford.
DOE grant funds also will support production of electric-drive system components at Ford supplier Magna, for the Ford Focus battery electric vehicle, as well as Johnson Controls-Saft, which will supply high-voltage batteries for Ford’s plug-in hybrid vehicle in 2012.
Ford plans to invest nearly $14 billion in advanced technology vehicles in the next seven years, retooling its U.S. plants more quickly to produce fuel-efficient vehicles and help meet the new, rigorous fuel economy requirements.
photo:Ford