GE to Purchase 2,000 Ford C-MAX Energi Plug-in Hybrids; Companies
Collaborate with Georgia Tech to Accelerate Alternative Fuel
Vehicle Adoption and Research
DEARBORN, Mich., Nov. 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --
- GE will purchase 2,000 C-MAX Energi plug-in hybrids – Ford's
largest-ever plug-in electrified vehicle fleet sale – as part of
GE's commitment to convert half of its global fleet to alternative
fuel vehicles
- C-MAX Energi is America's most fuel-efficient plug-in hybrid
with a 108 MPGe city EPA rating and a 620-mile single-tank range
that will benefit GE's sales and service professionals – many who
drive more mileage daily than average commuters
- Ford will promote GE's WattStation™ charging station
and CNG in a Box™ natural gas fueling station with its
commercial buyers. Ford will also supply new alternative fuel
vehicles for use at GE's Vehicle Innovation Center
- Georgia Institute of Technology
researchers to study GE employee driving and charging habits
through innovative MyFord® Mobile app to help optimize
all-electric driving
Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) today announces a
collaboration with GE (NYSE: GE), in which the company will
purchase 2,000 Ford C-MAX Energi plug-in hybrids for its fleet –
Ford's largest-ever plug-in electrified vehicle fleet sale. Ford
will also jointly market GE's alternative fuel infrastructure
solutions.
For GE, the purchase of 2,000 Ford C-MAX Energi vehicles is
another step in the company's initiative to convert half of its
global fleet to alternative fuel vehicles as part of its commitment
to ecomagination. The addition of the Ford vehicles brings the
number of alternative fuel vehicles in GE's fleet to more than
5,000 in its goal of 25,000 vehicles.
"Ford is launching six new electrified vehicles – a big bet that
fuel prices will continue rising and lead to more demand for
advanced fuel-efficient vehicles," says Ken
Czubay, Ford vice president, U.S. Marketing, Sales and
Service. "We are pleased to partner with GE, a company that is
charting a similar course, to promote advanced technology and
energy savings."
Mark Vachon, vice president of
ecomagination at GE, says, "At GE, we are focused on providing our
customers and our fleet with more economically and environmentally
efficient vehicles. The Ford C-MAX Energi plug-in hybrid is a great
addition to our expanding fleet of alternative fuel vehicles."
The two companies will also work with researchers from
Georgia Institute of Technology to
study GE employee driving and charging habits, with the goal of
improving all-electric driving and charging performance.
Researchers will use Ford's MyFord® Mobile app – with
real-time battery charge status and value charging that
automatically recharges at lower-cost, off-peak electricity
rates.
"Understanding driving and charging habits is key to advancing
vehicle and charging infrastructure," says Professor Bert Bras of the Sustainable Design &
Manufacturing laboratory at Georgia
Tech. "Through access to vehicle data, we can accelerate
research and development of new technologies to further improve
efficiency, driver satisfaction and environmental benefits."
Study findings will be shared with commercial customers to
provide insights and help facilitate deployment of electric
vehicles in their own fleets amid a growing electric vehicle
infrastructure that now includes more than 10,000 public charging
stations across the country.
Ecomagination is GE's commitment to providing innovative
solutions that maximize resources, drive economic performance and
help make the world work better.
Max efficiency
With many Americans facing record
gasoline prices, Ford is committed to deliver eight vehicles by
year-end that deliver 40 mpg or more.
The all-new Ford C-MAX Energi is America's most fuel-efficient
plug-in hybrid with an EPA- estimated 108 miles-per-gallon
equivalent (MPGe) city rating and 100 MPGe combined rating. C-MAX
Energi is expected to be America's most affordable plug-in hybrid
with a starting price of $29,995,
after federal tax credit and including destination and delivery
costs.
The C-MAX Energi joins the C-MAX Hybrid as part of Ford's first
hybrid-only dedicated line of vehicles. C-MAX Hybrid, available in
dealerships this fall, is America's most fuel-efficient hybrid
utility vehicle with EPA ratings of 47 mpg city, 47 mpg highway and
47 mpg combined.
The C-MAX hybrids are on sale now and part of Ford's strategy to
deliver the power of choice for leading fuel economy across the
lineup that includes six electrified vehicles. The other EVs
are:
- Fusion Energi plug-in hybrid expected to achieve at
least 100 MPGe to become the world's most fuel-efficient sedan
- Fusion Hybrid at 47 mpg city, highway and combined is
America's most fuel-efficient, non-rechargeable sedan
- Focus Electric at 105 MPGe combined is America's most
fuel-efficient five-seat car
- Lincoln MKZ Hybrid coming later this year and expected
to remain the most fuel-efficient luxury sedan in America
More information about C-MAX Hybrid and C-MAX Energi can be
found here.
Fueling infrastructure
Ford will promote GE's
WattStation™ charging station and CNG in a
Box™ natural gas fueling station with its commercial
customers. GE's WattStation is an easy-to-use electric vehicle
charger that significantly decreases the time needed for vehicle
charging. The WattStation uses smart grid technology and comes with
an app that helps customers more easily locate vehicle electricity
sources. GE's ecomagination qualified CNG in a Box is a fully
integrated CNG fueling supply system offering cost-effective
plug-and-play simplicity for fleet and retail fueling stations
seeking to offer CNG fuel.
Ford also will supply new alternative fuel vehicles for use at
GE's Vehicle Innovation Center at the headquarters of GE's fleet
management business in Eden Prairie,
Minn. The Vehicle Innovation Center gives GE's commercial
customers the opportunity to learn about and test-drive alternative
fuel cars and trucks from a variety of manufacturers in a single
location with assistance from GE's fleet, transportation, energy
and advanced technology experts. Ford already has placed its pure
electric Focus at the center.
About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor
Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes
automobiles across six continents. With about 172,000 employees and
65 plants worldwide, the company's automotive brands include Ford
and Lincoln. The company provides
financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more
information regarding Ford and its products worldwide, please visit
http://corporate.ford.com.
About GE
GE (NYSE: GE) works on things that
matter. The best people and the best technologies taking on the
toughest challenges. Finding solutions in energy, health and home,
transportation and finance. Building, powering, moving and curing
the world. Not just imagining. Doing. GE works. For more
information, visit the company's website at
www.ge.com.
About Georgia Institute of
Technology
The Georgia
Institute of Technology is one of the world's premier
research universities. Ranked seventh among U.S. News & World
Report's top public universities, the Institute enrolls 21,000
students within its six colleges. Georgia
Tech is the nation's leading producer of engineers as well
as a leading producer of female and minority engineering Ph.D.
graduates. Holding more than 780 patents and receiving
approximately $570 million in
sponsored awards, Georgia Tech ranks
among the nation's top ten universities (without a medical school)
in research expenditures. Visit www.gatech.edu for more
information.
SOURCE Ford Motor Company