As part of the Ford global electric vehicle plan, the company will launch two zero-emission,  full-electric vehicles in Europe. The Transit Connect Electric light commercial vehicle will be introduced in 2011, followed by the Ford Focus Electric in 2012. In addition, two next-generation hybrid-electric vehicles and a plug-in hybrid will be introduced in Europe in 2013.

As Ford’s global product vision accelerates to ensure that all the company’s vehicles competing in global segments become common in North America, Europe and Asia, the resulting efficiencies will allow a global portfolio of environmentally friendly transportation solutions to be developed based around hybrid electric, plug-in hybrid electric and all-electric vehicles.

Ford’s global electrification strategy will deliver a suite of electrified vehicles to a variety of markets. This will build on the company’s overall vision of offering the widest possible range of technology solutions – instead of a single vehicle or technology – to improve fuel economy and lower CO₂ emissions for customers around the world.

“We recognize that one technology does not work for all our customers,” said Derrick Kuzak, Ford’s Group Vice President of Global Product Development.  “Our electrification strategy and plans include hybrids, plug-in hybrids and battery electric vehicles to best meet our global customers’ needs. Leveraging our global platforms is also central to this strategy and allows us to build on our strong product line-up in the most customer-driven, affordable way.”

Ford’s Product Development team is participating in two specific European trial initiatives to demonstrate the technology in real world driving conditions, and generate feedback to help develop further the Focus Electric and the Transit Connect Electric for market acceptance in Europe.

In the UK, a consortium of Ford, Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) and Strathclyde University is preparing later this year to run a fleet of zero emissions prototype Ford Focus battery electric vehicle prototypes, based around the current Focus model sold in Europe and using elements of the technology under development for the new Focus Electric.

The vehicles will be used for evaluation by both SSE and a number of fleet and private customers based in Hillingdon, Middlesex from mid-2010. Click here to read more about the program.

In Germany, Ford has recently announced its participation in the colognE-mobil project. This initiative will research the impact of electric vehicles on urban air quality, traffic safety and the electricity supply infrastructure. Scientists will then scale up the results to examine the true benefits an electric future could deliver for German cities.

Ford is one of four participants in the colognE-mobil project and will provide an early fleet of next-generation Focus Electric vehicles in late 2011.