Ford aims for 40 per cent EV, hybrid vehicles by 2020

Ford is aiming for 40 per cent of its global lineup to be offered as a plug-in or hybrid variant by 2020, Automotive News reported.

The company would be investing $4.5 billion and adding 13 electrified models to its lineup, to reach that goal.  It would be the ''largest-ever electrified vehicle investment in a five-year period'' for the company.

With the new models Ford's total green fleet would number 18 models when one factored in the carmaker's current hybrids and plug-ins.

According to HybridCars.com, the company would have two plug-ins (Fusion Energi and C-Max Energi), two hybrids (Fusion Hybrid and C-Max Hybrid) and one battery electric from its existing electric line-up.

For the immediate future Ford's plans include a plug-in hybrid due to be unveiled at the Detroit auto show in January 2016, and an updated Focus EV set to go on sale late next year. The automaker had not revealed much about its electrified powertrains. However, executive vice president of product development Raj Nair had said that plug-in cars can appeal to a large market.

Meanwhile, according to commentators, automakers were coming under conflicting pressures even as they integrated costly electric-drive technology into their vehicles to reach the 54.5 mpg fuel economy standard in the year 2025. They add, this could push automakers onto a collision course with market reality.

Though fuel economy had been a political and technological issue, in the marketplace it was strongly affected by two economic factors - volatile petroleum prices and the cost of electric-drive technology.

As Ford CEO Mark Fields put it, "Clearly, price and affordability is going to play an important part in this. That's why it's important for us to do our part to work as hard as possible to get the costs down.

"But also, at the same time, this technology is expensive.