Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Coming soon: "an all-electric version"

Ford Motor Co. unveiled what it boasted was a "world-beating" next-generation Ford Focus (hatchback)at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit on Monday and announced its intentions to sell an all-electric version of the vehicle starting next year.

The company said the electric version of the Focus would be built at a factory in Michigan that previously manufactured sport utility vehicles, which Ford President of the Americas Mark Fields observed was an example of how quickly the auto industry and consumer tastes were shifting.

The price will be competitive with other electric vehicles, such as rival Chevrolet's Volt, Fields said, but he didn't elaborate. GM hasn't announced pricing for the Volt either.

The electric vehicle will be built alongside the next-generation Focus, a compact car that Ford sees as a key part of its strategy to leverage global design and engineering to produce a vehicle that will sell well in many global markets.

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