Ford plans to sell electric car by 2011

DETROIT — Ford Motor Co. is planning to put a fully electric car in showrooms by 2011 that will get up to 100 miles on a single charge.

That's part of the company's electrification plan that seeks to bring more hybrids, plug-in hybrids and pure electric cars to market.

Ford announced its strategy Sunday at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, offering a broad description of plans for both hybrid and purely electric-powered vehicles.

Executive Chairman Bill Ford Jr. said the company's electrification strategy is "perfectly aligned with our nation's growing interest in advanced technologies that can help reduce our usage of gasoline."

The Dearborn-based automaker said it also plans to have a battery-powered commercial van on the market in 2010.

"We're employing a comprehensive approach to electrification that will tackle commercial issues such as batteries, standards and infrastructure," Bill Ford said.

In an effort to make electric vehicles appeal to a mass market, Ford said the company is teaming up with utility companies in Southern California, and local governments in Colorado and China to develop projects that can help fuel usage of plug-in, eco-friendly vehicles.

Plug-in hybrids differ from battery electric vehicles, or BEVs, as plug-in hybrids still use gasoline. Ford said it plans to have a BEV commercial van available in 2010. A small passenger car is set to follow in 2011, and is being developed in conjunction with Magna International, a Canadian-based supplier.

Derrick Kuzak, Ford's group vice president of global product development, said the automaker expects to start out selling 5,000 to 10,000 electric vehicles annually.

The company offered test drives to reporters Sunday in its all-electric Fusion model, currently designed to plug into a conventional outlet and travel up to 100 miles on a single change. The car uses no gasoline or oil, with the space under the hood traditionally devoted to the engine reserved for an electric battery component. The actual battery is contained in the trunk of the car. An electrical outlet is in the spot reserved for the gas cap.

Ford officials said it isn't tied to launching its all-electric vehicle under the Fusion name. The company is bringing other small cars to the U.S. from Europe in the coming years, including the subcompact Ford Fiesta. Ford is looking to drum up excitement for the vehicle by letting selected people test drive the car this summer and share their experiences on social networking Web sites.