Recently, Ford and Electric Power Research Institute or EPRI that they will be undergoing a three year contract that to develop an integrating plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). Ford, which is also working with Southern California Edison (SCE), is the first automotive manufacturer to partner with the utility industry to facilitate advancing PHEVs. The new EPRI-Ford program will build on the ongoing Ford-SCE partnership and help determine regional differences in how the operation of PHEVs will impact the electric grid system. EPRI will form a collaborative of utilities in the New York-New Jersey area that will test Ford Escape PHEVs. Subsequent trials will be conducted with customers of the participating utilities.
This partnership also led to Ford Motor Company's commitment on making 80 to 90 percent of its Ford, Lincoln and Mercury products with electric power steering (EPS) systems by 2012, that will subsequently improve fuel economy, performance and the reliability of the overall Ford car line up.
The 2008 Ford Escape, Mercury Mariner, and their respective hybrid models are already benefiting from EPS. By 2009, other models like the Fusion, Mercury Milan and Lincoln KMZ will also join this changes.
Europe and Most part of America is actually being served with the EPS at the moment. EPS continues to gain momentum in North America as the technology matures, component costs stabilize, and public acceptance grows.
Fuel economy is becoming more and more of an issue for car buyers that is why this move for Ford to make their cars used the EPS is a very good move not only for the company but also for the people.
Automobile Blog April Archive
