Car manufacturers heavily investing in going electric and having plug-in versions of its current lineup is the current trend. Ford is the next the join in the bandwagon as it is reported to launch its plug-in car in China next year. It is even planning to go electric in all of its cars in eight years.
The Ford Motor Company recently said that it will launch a plug-in hybrid in China by 2018 and a fully electric sport utility vehicle in the next five years. This move is related to the manufacturer's plan of going fully electric by 2025, some eight years from now.
This initiative is brought about by the worsening air pollution index in Beijing, China's capital. Though a magnificent city where modernity and history blissfully meet, it is suffering one of the worst air quality in the whole world. Vehicle emissions make up one of the biggest contributors of this worsening condition.
Ford to launch plug-in car in China next year, electrify most by 2025 https://t.co/Z7r6a3bcQw pic.twitter.com/DwVzbbt1Sm
— Phil LeBeau (@Lebeaucarnews) April 6, 2017
Ford Chief Executive Mark Fields said that the time is right for Ford to expand its electric vehicle lineup and investments in China as its way to help alleviate the air pollution predicament in the country. As Beijing urges auto manufacturers to sell more electric vehicles, Ford immediately saw the potential.
This initiative is in partnership with Chongqing Changan Automobile Co. as it plans for 70 percent of Ford brand vehicles in China to be conventional hybrids, plug-in hybrids, or fully electric by 2025. The first to be sold is its Mondeo Energi sedan slated to be available early next year.
Ford might think of doing the same thing for its vehicles outside China. Since air pollution is steadily becoming a worldwide crisis, going electric in all of its cars, even for those not meant for China may be deemed profitable and environment-friendly.
For now, this initiative by Ford to help China improve its air quality is impressive enough. Ford plug-in car next year and going fully electric in the next eight years should make a sizeable impact.
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