Ford’s Investment in Electrification Center of Excellence Delivers New Jobs, Better Fuel Economy, More Choice
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Dearborn, Mich. (August 15,
2012)-
Ford is doubling its battery-testing capabilities by 2013, helping accelerate its hybrid and electric vehicle development by as much as 25 percent
Ford is adding new green jobs,
doubling its battery-testing capabilities and
speeding electrified vehicles to market by at
least 25 percent, creating even more
fuel-efficient choices for
customers.
“The good news for customers is that
they not only have more choice, but they have
faster access to Ford’s latest and greatest
in fuel-saving technologies and vehicles,”
said Joe Bakaj, Ford vice president of
Powertrain Engineering. “This stems directly
from our decisions to deliver true power of
choice by expanding our dedicated electrified
vehicle team and further investing in our
facilities.”
Ford is investing $135 million 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.
For example, Ford’s battery-testing
capabilities will double by 2013 – to a total
of 160 individual battery-test channels. This
includes investing in more of the highly
specialized machines that can test and simulate
everything from power and performance to life
and thermal behavior over a complete range of
temperatures and possible operating
conditions.
Also, 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 continues to build its electrified
team with 60 engineers hired in the past year
and dozens more positions to be filled this
year.
Power of choice
Customers benefit from Ford’s
investments in two ways – more fuel-efficient
vehicle options and even better value.
Ford is reducing the cost of its current
hybrid system by 30 percent versus the
company’s previous-generation system. Plus,
Ford is launching five electrified vehicles
this year as part of its power of choice
strategy to deliver leading fuel economy across
its lineup and triple electrified vehicle
production capacity by 2013.
The five electrified vehicles Ford is
launching fall in line with its goal of
providing customers with power of choice when
it comes to fuel-efficient vehicles. The five
electrified vehicles are:
- Focus Electric: Production began late 2011; America’s most fuel-efficient compact with 110 MPGe city; charge time of four hours with the available 240-volt charging station, which is nearly half the time as Nissan Leaf
- C-MAX Hybrid: EPA-certified to deliver 47 mpg highway, 47 mpg city – at least 3 mpg better than Toyota Prius v – and 47 mpg combined with more performance and technology, and all at a $1,300-lower base price
- C-MAX Energi plug-in hybrid: Coming this fall; a projected electric-mode miles per gallon equivalent that is more than three times that of Toyota Prius plug-in hybrid per EPA testing methods; 95 MPGe; total range of 550 miles
- All-new Fusion Hybrid: Coming this fall; 47 mpg expected to beat Toyota Camry Hybrid by 5 mpg highway
- Fusion Energi plug-in hybrid: Will begin production by the end of 2012; aiming to be the most fuel-efficient midsize car in the world
More information about Ford’s
electrified vehicle lineup – including press
releases, technical specifications and other
related material – can be found online here.
Ford remains America’s largest domestic
producer of hybrid vehicles. The company
launched the Escape Hybrid in 2004 and Fusion
Hybrid in 2010, with both delivering strong
customer satisfaction and industry-leading fuel
economy, driving dynamics and
durability.
Battery-powered
Typical of the auto industry, Ford’s
early hybrids contained batteries that involved
third parties in everything from design to
testing.
As the scope of Ford’s hybrid program
expanded, however, Ford found new efficiencies
by bringing research, development and
production of electrified vehicles in-house,
said Anand Sankaran, Ford executive technical
leader, Energy Storage and HV Systems.
“Time is of the essence, especially when
we have a specific launch date,” said
Sankaran.
Ford’s doubling of its battery-testing
capabilities is one example of how crucial time
is maximized as the company no longer has to
search for the right supplier with the right
equipment to quickly perform specific
tests.
The expanded battery-testing capabilities
allow the team to quickly collect, analyze and
apply vast amounts of data and – when needed
– modify tests and easily adapt necessary
changes. Projects are completed at least 25
percent faster than they were with
previous-generation hybrids, Sankaran
said.
Ford AEC: Past and present
The Ford Advanced Electrification Center,
formerly the Advanced Engineering Center, is
located within the company’s Henry and Edsel
Ford Research & Engineering Center, the
500-acre technical complex in Dearborn that
opened in 1953 and serves as the home for
research and engineering efforts.
It was constructed on the research campus
in 1993 as part of an $84 million project that
centered largely on noise, vibration and
harshness testing with several state-of-the-art
labs within.
That changed in 2009. As Ford’s
investment in electrified vehicles such as
Fusion Hybrid increased, so did the size of the
Sustainable Mobility Technologies team behind
it, said Chuck Gray, Ford chief engineer,
Global Core Engineering Hybrid and Electric
Vehicles.
The rapid growth has not only brought
together a large group of talented and smart
engineers, it has brought together innovators
from diverse backgrounds. Many have experience
in aerospace working on jets, rockets,
missiles, satellites and unmanned aircraft. One
engineer even spent time in the driver’s seat
of the Goodyear Blimp.
“We know what it takes to build
world-class hybrids and are building on that
expertise,” said Kevin Layden, director, Ford
Electrification Programs and Engineering.
“We’re continuing to invest so Ford can
continue to lead in the delivery of top fuel
economy, durability and driving dynamics in our
electrified vehicles.”
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About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company, a
global automotive industry leader based in
Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes
automobiles across six continents. With about
168,000 employees and about 65 plants
worldwide, the company’s automotive brands
include Ford and Lincoln. The company provides
financial services through Ford Motor Credit
Company. For more information regarding Ford
and its products worldwide, please visit http://corporate.ford.com.
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