Ford just launched its new MyEnergi Lifestyle collaboration, which show how a family can reduce their electricity bills and CO2 footprint by integrating home appliance technology with a plug-in vehicle and a renewable energy source. Ford is collaborating with Eaton, SunPower and Whirpool to highlight the MyEnergi Lifestyle technologies at this week at the 2013 International CES in Las Vegas.

Read the rest of Ford Launches MyEnergi Lifestyle at CES 2013 to Help Families Reduce Their Electricity Bills and CO2 Footprint

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Post tags: ces, CES 2013, Eaton, electric cars, ford, ford c-max energi, ford focus electric, ford fusion energi, green transportation, MyEnergi Lifestyle, sunpower, Whirpool

As more electric and hybrid vehicles enter the market, there is a growing concern from consumers about the reliability of the batteries that power them. Ford has unveiled a new lab test, the Key Life Test, which allows the automaker to simulate the equivalent of 10 years and 150,000 miles of wear and tear on hybrid vehicle batteries in about 10 months.

Read the rest of Ford Simulates 10 Years of Battery Use in Just 10 Months with the Key Life Test

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Post tags: electric car, ford, Ford C-MAX, ford c-max energi, ford electric car, ford focus electric, ford fusion, ford fusion energi, ford hybrid, green car, hybrid car, lithium ion battery

Read the rest of TEST DRIVE: How Does the Ford Focus Electric Handle High Speeds and Long Distances?

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Post tags: electric car, focus electric, ford, ford focus, ford focus electric, green car, green transportation, Laura K. Cowan, sustainable transportation, test drive

With the introduction of electric vehicles like the Nissan LEAF, Tesla Model S and Honda Fit EV, do you ever wonder what it would be like to actually own one? A quick ten minute test drive at a dealership only tells part of the story. Ford recently loaned me a 2013 Ford Focus Electric to drive for a few days in the San Francisco Bay Area. I had one challenge in mind: To see if the Focus Electric could do everything that a gas powered car could do. After four days with the Focus Electric I gave back the keys mostly impressed with Ford’s newest electric car.

Read the rest of TEST DRIVE: We Drive the 2013 Ford Focus Electric in San Francisco

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Post tags: chevy volt, electric car, EV range anxiety, ford, ford electric car, ford focus, ford focus electric, green car, green transportation, honda fit ev, Nissan Leaf, tesla model-s

Today’s electric vehicles may have much lower carbon footprints than gasoline and diesel powered cars, but the two hours it can often take to charge a lithium ion battery can be a significant inconvenience. In an effort to reduce such charging times a group of South Korean scientists has reportedly developed a carbon battery capable of charging up to 120 times faster than standard batteries.

Read the rest of New Carbon Network EV Batteries Charge Up to 120x Faster

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Post tags: batteries, battery technology, electric car, electric cars, electric charging, ford focus electric, green car, green transportation, honda fit ev, lithium ion battery, Nissan Leaf

Ford just announced the release of its new MyFord mobile app, which will help EV drivers find more than 9,400 public charging stations across the U.S. The app has been designed to be used with the Ford Focus Electric, the C-MAX Energi and the Fusion Energi plug-in hybrid models. In addition to locating charging stations, the app allows customers to manage remote charging, view current battery status and plan trips.

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Post tags: electric cars, ford, ford c-max energi, ford focus electric, ford fusion energi, Ford MyFord Mobile, green cars, green transportation, lithium ion battery

Read the rest of Test Drive: 2013 Ford Focus Electric Rules the Testing Track

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Post tags: electric vehicle, ev, focus electric, ford, ford focus, ford focus electric, Ford Motor, mytouch, test drive

Next month the first deliveries of Honda’s highly anticipated electric car, the 2013 Honda Fit EV will kick off. As the Fit EV goes head to head with other full electric vehicles such as the Nissan LEAF and Ford Focus Electric, we headed out to Pasadena, California to test drive the new 2013 Fit EV and check out the rest of Honda’s ever-increasing lineup of efficient vehicles!

Read the rest of TEST DRIVE: 2013 Honda Fit EV Is The Most Fuel Efficient Car in the US, With Few Compromises

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Post tags: electric car, ford focus electric, green car, green transportation, Honda, Honda electric car, honda fit, honda fit ev, lithium ion, Nissan Leaf

The 2013 Honda Fit EV has just been given the EPA’s highest fuel-efficiency rating ever – 118 MPGe! The Honda Fit EV’s 20-kWh lithium-ion battery gives the electric Fit a range of 82 miles, which means that the Fit EV surpasses the EPA efficiency and range ratings of the Ford Focus Electric (105 MPGe, 76-mile range) and the Nissan Leaf (99 MPGe, 73-mile range). Steve Center, vice president of the American Honda Environmental Business Development Office said that “the 2013 Fit EV will be an absolute kick to drive” – which is “just as important as the industry-leading fuel-efficiency and fast recharging time.”

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Post tags: electric vehicle, energy efficient transportation, ford focus electric, green transportation, Honda, Honda electric vehicle, honda fit, honda fit ev, Nissan Leaf

By any measure, the release of Ford’s 2012 Focus Electric is a big deal. It’s the company’s first all-electric car, and Ford says it can be recharged in nearly half the time it takes to juice up the Nissan Leaf. As Ford gears up for the release sate, it will also make some serious environmental upgrades to dealerships that sell the new EV. The company announced this morning that any dealership that is authorized to sell the 2012 Ford Focus Electric must first must install EV charging stations and participate in a facility assessment aimed at reducing energy use.

Read the rest of Ford Dealerships Get Environmental Assessment in Preparation for 2012 Ford Focus Electric Rollout

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Post tags: 2012 Focus Electric, electric car, electric vehicle, ev, EVs, ford, ford focus electric, fuel economy, fuel efficiency, green cars, green transportation

Ford has announced that the new 2012 Ford Focus Electric is set to become the first all-electric pace car ever to lead the field for a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at the Richmond 400. The Focus Electric pace car will be officially unveiled to the public at the Virginia State Capitol in Richmond on April 25. It will then perform all pace car duties at Richmond International Raceway on April 28.

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Post tags: electric car, epa, ford, ford focus electric, Ford Focus Electric pace car, green car, green transportation, Nascar

The word on the street today is that Ford will be rolling out the new Focus Electric in a “build-to-order” process that is similar to the production scheme used by PC manufacturer Dell. Mike Tinskey, Ford’s director of vehicle electrification recently spoke to BusinessGreen, and revealed that Ford has already received a significant number of orders for the electric-powered Focus and alluded to the new process of customization. The 2012 Ford Focus Electric EV is set to launch next month with a starting price of $39,200 before the eligible tax credits.

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Following the announcement earlier this month that the 2012 Ford Focus Electric is now America’s most fuel-efficient 5-passenger car, Ford has announced that buyers in California are now eligible for an extra $2,500 state tax credit. As gas prices get closer and closer to $5 a gallon, this extra savings could help boost sales of the car in the Golden State at a time when EVs need it most. The $2,500 would be in addition to the original $7,500 federal tax credit, giving the Focus Electric a total $10,000 in tax credits. The Focus Electric has a starting price of $39,200.

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Post tags: California, car tax credits, electric vehicle, electric vehicle tax credit, Focus, focus electric, ford, Ford electric vehicle, ford focus, ford focus electric, green car, green car tax credits, green transportation, HOV lane

The 2012 Ford Focus Electric is now officially America’s most fuel-efficient five-passenger car, with a rating of 110 miles per gallon equivalent (MPGe) city and 99 MPGe highway. The Focus Electric also has a 105 MPGe combined rating, which beats its closest competitor, the Nissan Leaf, by 6 MPGe. The Focus Electric also offers more power, passenger room and standard features than the Leaf and beats the Leaf on the highway with its 99 MPGe rating compared to the Leaf’s 92 MPGe.

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Post tags: america's most fuel efficient car, electric vehicle, epa, Focus, ford, ford focus, ford focus electric, fuel efficient car, green car, green transportation, green vehicle, most fuel efficient car, NISSAN, Nissan Leaf

Read the rest of Top 6 Green Cars To Watch at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show

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Post tags: 2012 Detroit Auto Show, 2012 NAIAS, alternative transportation, auto show, detroit auto show, electric car, ford focus electric, green automotive design, green car, green concept car, green transportation, green vehicle, hybrid car, lexus lf-lc, Mercedes E300, Mercedes E400, NAIAS, plug-in hybrid car, Smart For-US, Volkswagen EV concept, Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid, Volvo V60 Plugin Hybrid, Volvo XC60 plugin hybrid

Last year I had the good fortune to attend the North American International Auto Show (or NAIAS) in Detroit – for the first time – and the timing couldn’t have been more perfect! I had never attended an auto show before, but I’ve heard that most SUV-focused auto shows of years past have not been very interesting to people who care about green cars, like me. However, 2011 was the year of the electric car! From super-sexy hybrid race cars (from Porsche), to a retina-searing electric yellow sports cars (from Mercedes), to practical electric commuter cars (like the Ford Focus EV and Ford C-MAX Hybrid), nearly every major car manufacturer at the Detroit Auto Show unveiled a new electric car or a new hybrid. For those of you who couldn’t make it to the show, happily we shot a video of my favorite new electric cars – check it out above, and stay tuned as we bring you a video of the hottest green vehicles from the 2012 Detroit Auto Show in the next few days!

CHECK OUT THE VIDEO >

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Post tags: an international auto show, auto show, auto show video, detroit auto show, electric car, electric cars, electric vehicle, ev, ford focus electric, Ford Focus EV, green car, green cars, green design, green transportation, green vehicle, green vehicles, green video, hybrid car, hybrid vehicle, inhabitat, inhabitat at detroit auto show, inhabitat car show, Inhabitat LLC, inhabitat video, mercedes SLS, NAIAS, naias 2011, north american international auto show, north americPorsche, Porsche 918 RSR, Porsche eco, Porsche Electric Vehicle, Porsche EV, Porsche Green Car, Porsche Hybrid Race car, Porsche Hybrid Sports Car, Porsche Spyder unveiling, Porsche unveil

The long-awaited 2012 Ford Focus Electric is currently available for pre-order, but the lucky folks at Google already have their hands on one! The first production unit was presented to the company just before Christmas (talk about a nice gift), and Googlers have already taken their hot new ride for a spin. The super fast-charging all-electric vehicle will soon be available soon to the rest of us in limited numbers.

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Post tags: 23 kwh high voltage lithium ion battery, eco design, electric car, Focus, ford, ford focus electric, ford michigan assembly plant, Google, green design, green transportation, Nissan Leaf, sustainable design

As the new era of gas-free vehicle travel dawns in America, the new Ford Focus Electric well represents the goodness this era will bring: 100% electric-power and zero CO2 emissions.* Plus, it comes fully loaded and packed with a host of cool technology features that enhance performance and make Focus Electric a lot of fun to drive. Focus Electric gets all of its power from an advanced high-voltage lithium-ion battery system, which means you’ll never need a drop of gas or an oil change. A full charge can be achieved in approximately 3 – 4 hours with the available 240-volt home charging station. Tech tools, like SYNC® with MyFord Touch® featuring unique EV content, help you maximize efficiency and range by displaying battery charge status, energy surplus status and more.

Read the rest of The 100% Electric-Powered, Zero CO2 Emissions Ford Focus Electric Is One Beautifully Designed Car

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Post tags: electric cars, ev, focus electric, ford, ford focus, ford focus electric, gas free vehicles, my ford mobile app, my ford touch, sync ford

Ford Motor Company just officially started production on its new Ford Focus Electric 2012 model in its Wayne, Michigan assembly plant. The Ford Focus Electric is the first EV of its kind to receive a 100 miles per gallon equivalent (MPGe) fuel efficiency rating, and it charges two times faster than the Nissan Leaf – the only other electric vehicle in its class. One third of Ford’s 2012 vehicle lineup consists of cars that get 40 mpg or better fuel ratings. The company has completely revamped its Wayne factory to create a flexible assembly line, and it has installed one of the largest solar power generation systems in the state. We can’t wait to see the zero-emission Ford Focus Electric start arriving at dealerships soon!

Read the rest of First Ford Focus Electric Vehicles Roll Off Production Lines in Michigan

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Post tags: american made cars, cars made in america, electric automobile, electric car, electric vehicle, electric vehicle charging time, focus electric, Ford Assembly Plant, ford automotive, ford car, ford electric car, Ford electric vehicle, ford focus, ford focus electric, ford vehicle, green car, green transportation, green vehicle, longest range electric vehicle, michigan assembly plant, new electric vehicle, no emissions vehicle, quick charge electric vehicle, range anxiety

Ford Motor Company CEO Alan Mulally recently told Bloomberg News that the company is thinking of producing electric vehicles in China with their Chinese auto partner Changan Automobile Group. Ford is already part of the largest auto market in the world — yes, that would be China — but they haven’t yet produced electric vehicles there. In fact they are rolling out their first US market EV in 2012. As the Chinese government looks to reduce their astronomically high yearly emissions, companies like Daimler AG and General Motors Company have already announced plans to make EVs there.

Read the rest of Ford Announces That It is Considering Manufacturing Electric Vehicles in China

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Post tags: changan, changan and ford, changan electric vehicles, chinese automobiles, chinese automotive market, chinese cars, chinese vehicles, ford, ford cars in china, ford electric vehicles, ford electric vehicles in china, ford focus electric