Ford gets incentives from Michigan for EV battery development
Click above for a high-res gallery of the Ford Transit Connect
The Michigan Economic Development Corporation has granted Ford Motor Company a $55 million incentive in refundable tax credits. The incentive will come from the new Michigan Advanced Battery Credits initiative and is supposed to help Ford push forward with its plans to introduce four new electric vehicles to the American market by 2012. Lithium ion battery packs are likely to account for the bulk of the costs associated with developing usable electric vehicles.
The first vehicle we are expecting to see from the Blue Oval is an all-electric van based on the Transit Connect platform, which should be ready by 2010. Next up, and probably more exciting to most consumers, will likely be a new electric compact car based on the next-gen Ford Focus platform and built in collaboration with Magna International. Expect that car to hit the market in limited quantities in 2011. A year later, Ford's first plug-in hybrid models should be ready for public consumption as well.
Gallery: 2010 Ford Transit Connect
[Source: Ford]
PRESS RELEASE:
FORD RECEIVES MICHIGAN TAX CREDITS FOR FUTURE ELECTRIC VEHICLES, BATTERY DEVELOPMENT
* Ford receives $55 million incentive in refundable tax credits from Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) to continue work in electric vehicle and battery development.
* Incentive will help accelerate Ford's recently announced aggressive electrification strategy, designed to bring four electrified vehicles to market by 2012.
DEARBORN, Mich., Feb. 17, 2009 – Ford Motor Company received a $55 million incentive from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) for its work in advanced battery and electrical vehicle development. Ford will receive refundable tax credits through the new Michigan Advanced Battery Credits initiative, announced today by Governor Jennifer Granholm.
The first of its kind in the country, the law provides refundable tax credits to encourage companies to invest in electric vehicle engineering and advanced automotive battery research in Michigan.
"Ford appreciates Michigan's proactive positioning in support of these advanced technologies, which we believe are at the heart of a new generation of vehicles," said Curt Magleby, director, Government Affairs. "Incentives to help concentrate research and engineering related to electric vehicles in Michigan will help position the state to become a leader in this emerging technology."
Approved by the Michigan Economic Growth Authority, the incentive will be used to accelerate Ford's plans to produce next-generation hybrids, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and battery electric vehicles.
"These promising technologies give us the opportunity to transform our transportation and energy future," said Nancy Gioia, director, Sustainable Mobility Technologies and Hybrid Vehicle Programs. "Government support is essential to achieving the potential for electrified vehicles in the future. Michigan's groundbreaking program accelerates our ability to expand and focus our engineering and research efforts here."
Ford's southeast Michigan operations already are home to some of the most advanced automotive research, technology and engineering development facilities in the world. This incentive will help ensure that research and development at Ford facilities in Michigan will play a key role in further enhancing this new technology.
Ford recently announced an aggressive electrification strategy to bring four new vehicles to market. Ford's electrification strategy involves three types of electrified vehicles – battery electric vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles – to provide consumers with significant fuel economy improvements and reduced CO2 emissions without compromising their driving experience.
Ford's new electrification strategy will deliver a suite of electrified vehicles to market by 2012, including:
* A full battery commercial Transit Connect van-type commercial vehicle in 2010.
* A full battery electric passenger car in 2011.
* Next-generation hybrid vehicles, including a plug-in version by 2012.
The electrification strategy builds on Ford's vision for bringing affordable technology to millions. It is designed to take advantage of rapid advancements in electrified vehicle technology – particularly Lithium-ion batteries – while leveraging the scale of global vehicle platforms to bring the cost of new technology down.
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Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 213,000 employees and about 90 plants worldwide, the company's wholly owned brands include Ford, Lincoln, Mercury and Volvo. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford's products, please visit www.ford.com.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Stan Wellaway 10:48AM (2/18/2009)
In Europe, the Ford Transit Connect (or 'Connie' as it's known) is already available as a car. See http://www.harikaarabalar.com/data/media/369/ford_transit_connect.jpg
If Ford are happy to bring out an electric version of the van, why not an electric version of this car? Even if only as an interim model.
I suppose it might be that the sub-floor space in the van extends further forwards in van, allowing ample space for batteries. Whereas the rear passenger footwells reduce that subfloor space in the car. But if they have to overcome similar constraints in whatever car they develop - so I presume the reason is more to do with the limited market for a 100 mile car, and the hope that batteries will give better mileage by the time the 2011/12 electric Focus comes to fruition..
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Brn 11:58AM (2/18/2009)
They could call it the Taurus-X-E. :)
Mike 8:52PM (4/12/2009)
This is excellent news. Congrats to Michigan on the "Refundable tax credits to encourage companies to invest in electric vehicle engineering & advanced automotive battery research in Michigan."
I do wonder though, regarding the whole subject of Batteries/Storage technology & this could include ultra capacitors for example: If the state is funding Ford then will Ford make the results available to other, at least North American EV manufacturers? Or will the Congress (stimulus plan) & Michigan investments be split amongst different business interests each holding onto resulting patents & not cooperating for an effective solution. "YES WE CAN" but we have to pull in the same direction, in unison, to get things done quickly, atleast for base issues like storage technology. When public funds are funding should we not demand such cooperation.
Where will the results of this research be employed? Only at Ford? Will Congress & Michigan give Chrysler & GM & smaller EV players similar funding to do very similar or duplicate research dividing, the efforts of stakeholders, best minds, and ideas amongst different uncooperative teams? etc.?
The stimulus package includes funding for storage research. President Obama just announced a protocol on green energy research during his visit to Canada this past week. Canada agreed to proportionally match US bailout funds to GM and Chrysler even before the President decided upon that funding. Effectively it seems for the expeditious good of the industry, Canada it seems left the decision to the US & by agreeing to follow & support the US lead. The Ford Focus EV is Magna Canada with Magna USA Detroit involvement including a motor from a Magna USA division. I would think that this indicates that pooling of funding, ideas and knowledge can work and would be wise to follow in order to best solve the storage issue in shorter order and not waste US, Canadian, State & Provincial public funding in the process. Are not the vast majority of us tired of being at the mercy of oil and in favor of alternatives including a North American built electric vehicles & industry.
As a final point: I never saw the "Who Killed the Electric Vehicle" documentary, have we not learned from the past. Have we not paid dearly?
Was it not some US Oil Co (who had some investment/involvement in GM Shares) that bought Sunoco. Was it Sunoco that just earlier purchased the Nicad battery technology patents? Didn't they subsequently restricted access to NiCAD battery technology. Who killed the EV?
Detroit Electric was strongly supported in the 30's. Just think of all the US dollars paid overseas for oil, and wars over oil, that could have been avoided. Would 911 have happened if there was no money for oil all these years? Are we making a similar mistake will restricting access to core energy technology, possibly not kill but perhaps, delay urgently needed solutions despite the fact of having been developed with public funding?
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EV Nut 10:55PM (4/29/2009)
"Was it not some US Oil Co (who had some investment/involvement in GM Shares) that bought Sunoco. Was it Sunoco that just earlier purchased the Nicad battery technology patents? Didn't they subsequently restricted access to NiCAD battery technology. Who killed the EV?"
No. It was Chevron who bought the patents to a Large Format NiMH battery and then killed it, suing Panasonic for $30 million and forced them to close their factory.
Mike W 4:28PM (4/10/2009)
Hi all;
I do think that Hydrogen cells are the fuel of the future. There are a lot of us out here trying to make it work as a gas/hydrogen hybrid but its going to take a large company with the insight and resorces like Ford to do it right and then take it to the next level of a 100% hydrogen gas car. If a regular person like myself can build a cell that can produce a liter of hho in ten seconds with little to no experience in engeneering and very little money, which I have, just think what a company like Ford could do. A 4 or 6 cyl. hydrogen Ford Fusion for $20,000 or less, It would be back to the days like the model A or T " A car for the People" and we would buy them. Ford would be top dog in the auto world!
Just a suggestion ,
Mike W
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