Ford announced partnership with Texas utility giant Oncor to prepare North Texas for the operation of electric cars.
Ford and Oncor will work together to develop consumer outreach and education programs on electric cars as well as share information on charging needs and requirements to ensure the electrical grid can support the necessary demand.
Cooperation between Ford and Oncor also involves working with the state and local governments on the most efficient ways to bring electric cars to North Texas.
Oncor has already installed more than a million of its 3.4 million smart meters, providing information to help customers charge vehicles when rates are lowest. Oncor will also build about 850 miles of new transmission lines from Competitive Renewable Energy Zones (CREZ) in West Texas to the rest of the state by 2013, enabling electric cars to be powered from clean, renewable domestic sources.
Earlier this week, Ford had announced similar partnerships with Austin Energy in Austin and Centerpoint Energy in Houston.
Ford’s electric vehicle line-up for the next two years includes the Transit Connect Electric van, the Focus Electric in 2011, two third-generation lithium-ion battery hybrids (2012) and a plug-in hybrid (2012).
