Unlike its competitors, Ford will roll out its electric vehicle as a new version of an existing model, the popular Ford Focus. In a further move to distinguish itself from the field, the Focus will be available not just as an all-electric car, but also as a hybrid, a plug-in hybrid, and as a conventional gas engine vehicle.
At New York's Altman building, frenetic dance music geared up the crowd of auto journalists, car dealers and executives. As the lights dimmed, a smooth-voiced announcer directed the audience to take their seats. This was no mere car announcement. It was automotive theater.
In fact, some analysts suggest that a performance is all the product release really amounts to. Electric cars are still an extremely minor part of the auto market--only about 2 percent of cars sold are even hybrids. Building an all-electric car provides extraordinary fuel economy credits for automakers looking to comply with nationally mandated fuel efficiency standards, as well as boosting a progressive, green-minded company image. Skeptics suggest the electric Focus is more about satisfying those requirements than making money.
"There wouldn't be any automaker making electric cars if not for fuel economy regulations," said Aaron Bragman senior analyst for IHS Global Insight. "They're not a moneymaker."
Even if Ford has genuinely ambitious plans for its latest cars, it is taking on enormous obstacles that could prevent electric vehicles from penetrating the consumer market. Not only are electric cars substantially more expensive than ordinary gas automobiles, but the lack of an overall U.S. infrastructure to charge electric car batteries induces major anxiety for drivers looking to drive more than 100 miles at a time.
But in New York on Friday, the mood was distinctly triumphant as the company still associated with the earliest roots of the American auto industry took aim at capturing a slice of its next iteration.
Sources: www.ford.com www.huffingtonpost.com
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