Ford Motor Company and Schneider Electric are joining forces to deliver an electric vehicle charging solution for the upcoming Ford Focus Electric for homes and businesses across Europe.
Ford’s partnership with Schneider Electric, the global specialist in energy management, will provide battery electric vehicle and plug-in hybrid electric vehicle customers – including owners of the forthcoming Focus Electric – with a fast, reliable, safe and convenient charging solution.
“We are delighted to be partnering with Schneider Electric,” said Andreas Ostendorf, vice president, Sustainability, Environment and Safety Engineering, Ford of Europe. “Together, we will provide drivers and fleet operators with a flexible and efficient solution to charging their vehicles and help drive a seamless and fully-optimized, zero-emissions experience.”
The Schneider Electric EVLINK electric vehicle charging station will deliver a convenient solution to customers in all European markets where Ford battery electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles are on sale. It has been rigorously tested to meet both Ford and European safety standards and will be offered with optional standard installation, industry-leading five-year warranty and full native-language, regionally-tailored technical support.
Ford and Schneider Electric have worked together to ensure the stations are optimized for Ford’s electric vehicle products. Focus Electric customers, in regions with compatible electricity supply specifications, will be able to fully charge their batteries in little more than three hours.
A full charge of the Focus Electric battery will deliver 162 km driving range with energy efficiency of 15.9 kWh/100 km according to recently confirmed figures from Ford.
In addition, Ford and Schneider Electric will offer Focus Electric customers the opportunity to purchase their electricity from green energy partners, providing certified renewable energy from new installations. This will provide customers with the option of making their Ford electric driving experience CO2 neutral – maximizing the environmental benefit of pure electric driving.
In Germany, renewable energy will be delivered, for example, by the Cologne energy provider RheinEnergie – a company that recently installed a 1.2 megawatt solar panel system on the roof of a Ford facility in Cologne.
The electricity from this installation will specifically supply the energy for charging Focus Electric models that will go on sale next year.
Ford will announce further cooperation with energy providers in other countries closer to the launch of the Focus Electric in Europe.[wzslider height=”400″ lightbox=”true”]
