Majority Of Ford Models To Be Electric Within The Next Decade

With electric vehicles capturing the hearts and minds of greenies and frugalists everywhere, Ford CEO Alan Mullaly has declared that the majority of Ford models within the next decade will be electric.

That’s not to say Ford doesn't already have electric offerings on the road ahead – the company has outlined plans to get a battery-powered Transit work van on the road by 2010, and an electric family car by 2011.

Mullaly said that within the next 10 to 12 years, a “major portion” of Ford’s portfolio will feature electric vehicles, or EVs as they are swiftly becoming known as.

“Ten years is going to come very quickly and I think we’ll have a significant improvement in the fuel efficiency in the internal combustion engine,” Mulally told the Wall Street Journal ECO:nomics conference.

“You’ll see more hybrids, but you will really see a lot more electric vehicles.”

While Ford has opted not to seek a bailout from the government to get through the company’s hard times, the world’s fourth largest automaker is believed to be seeking some US$5 billion (AU$7.8b) from the US Department of Energy’s green car loan program.

The DOE has made a total of US$25b available for the project, although none of it has been earmarked for any particular manufacturer yet.

GM and Chrysler are chasing around US$8b each as part of their hybrid/EV programs, while the smaller Tesla is eyeing a US$350 million (AU$549m) chunk.