What's the deal with the electric car and why hasn't one been put into mass production yet? That's pretty simple, cost. Most manufactures simply haven't figured out how to produce a vehicle that is affordable.
Chevy (now Government Owned) for example has been talking up its new Volt now for about two years and it's rumored to be in the $40k price range. One of the main reasons for the high price tags is that most manufactures are designing an all-new platform for their electric vehicle. The perception is that they have to come out with some radical new design just because the car is electric...not sure I understand the mentality on that one.
Ford is taking the less risky approach and will have to electric vehicles on the road when the Focus EV hits the road (Transit Connect Electric will debut first). Ford knows that it can reduce the cost by adding the generic electric technology developed by Magna International, a major global auto supply and technology firm, which has been looking for a car-maker to use its new pre-packaged electric car architecture, including motor, transmission, motor controller, lithium ion battery system and charger. Ford is the first to sign up. So taking a technology that has already been developed and applying it to a vehicle platform already in mass production seems like a good way to cut cost so that the Focus EV is more affordable. The Focus EV will be on the next generation 2011 Focus coming over from Europe.
More to come.
