Ford, So Cal Ed to test plug-in hybrids

Rosemead, Calif., July 10: Ford Motor Co. said it would test a fleet of rechargeable hybrids with utility Southern California Edison in a partnership that environmental advocates said underscores the growing interest in vehicles capable of running with little gasoline.

Ford Chief Executive Alan Mulally and John Bryson, chief executive of Edison International, unveiled plans for the alliance at Edison International's headquarters in suburban Los Angeles on Monday.

Under the partnership, researchers from Southern California Edison and Ford will work together in ''real world'' testing of up to 20 plug-in hybrid vehicles, Ford spokesman John Clinard said.

Ford said it would provide the utility company with a fleet of 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid sport utility vehicles that would be benchmarked for performance.

The Escape hybrid would then be engineered by Ford in cooperation with a battery company partner yet to be named to make the vehicle capable of being plugged-in.

The No. 2 US automaker, which lost .6 billion last year, became the first US car maker to introduce a gasoline-electric hybrid vehicle, the Escape in 2004.

Faced with declining US market share, Ford later backed off ambitious sales targets for hybrids and was criticized by environmental advocates for having lost momentum in the race to develop alternatives to combustion engines.

Ford's move to test plug-in hybrids was welcomed by environmental groups, which have often targeted the automaker for its poor fuel economy record.

''Ford, a company that was previously dead last in fleet-wide fuel efficiency for all major automakers, appears to be turning a corner with this announcement,'' environmental group Friends of the Earth regional policy director Danielle Fugere said in a statement.

Environmental advocates, particularly in California, have been pressing automakers to roll out plug-in vehicles capable of running solely on electricity for short distances and recharging at a standard electric outlet.

''Consumers have been waiting a long time for an automaker to offer the next generation of ultra-fuel-efficient, gasoline-optional cars,'' said environmental groups Rainforest Action Network and Global Exchange Campaign in response to Ford's announcement.

Ford will initially work exclusively with Southern California Electric to develop the testing procedures but did not rule out working with other partners in the future.

''As Ford's plug-in hybrid program grows, the automaker will look for broader participation as it develops a business model not just for Southern California, but potentially nationwide,'' Ford said in a statement.

Larger competitor General Motors Corp has already begun development work this year on its own plug-in hybrid car, designed to use little or no gasoline over short distances.

GM showed off a concept version of the Chevrolet Volt in January and has set 2010 as a target for production.

Electric utility Southern California Edison serves about 5 million electricity customers in the Los Angeles region and parts of California's coast and Central Valley. It is a subsidiary of Edison International.

Reuters>