Ford to Triple Production Capacity of Electrified Vehicles by 2013

In brief: Ford plans to triple its electrified vehicles production capacity in North America by 2013.

The word

Ford Motor Co is going to increase its electrified vehicle lineup (plug-ins, battery electrics, hybrids) by three times, going to over 100,000 units in North America by 2013. Many of those will be thanks to the production of the C-MAX Energi PHEV, which enters production next year.

Ford currently sells about 35,000 electrified vehicles in the U.S. and Canada, including the Ford Fusion Hybrid and Escape Hybrid.

The 5-passenger C-MAX plug-in hybrid will see higher investment in production capacity at the expense of its 7-passenger gasoline-powered counterpart, which Ford thinks will not sell as well.

Ford is moving forward with several electric platforms with a planned five options by 2012, including three already on the market and two C-MAX options coming next year. A possible sixth option, as yet unannounced, may be coming before 2013 as well.

The decision from Ford comes after the C-MAX platform, currently being sold as a hybrid and plug-in hybrid in Europe, outsold expected goals in Europe - at nearly twice the rate of last year's petroleum models.

And so ...

The C-MAX Hybrid will get better fuel economy than the mid-sized Fusion Hybrid and both C-MAX options will be the first Ford vehicles to use lithium-ion batteries as an entirely in-house build.

Photo credits: Ford

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