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Comparing Electrification Technologies

Electricity plays a role in all current vehicle technologies. In the early 1900s, for example, conventional gasoline and diesel vehicles began using a lead-acid battery to provide power to start the vehicle instead of a hand crank. Recently, in the quest for better fuel economy and lower greenhouse gas emissions, automakers have begun to design a variety of vehicles that use electric power for more functions, including providing some or all of the power necessary to move the vehicle.

A range of vehicle types, from conventional gasoline to pure electric, is shown in the table below. In the near- and mid-term, the largest volume of electrified vehicles will likely be hybrid electric vehicles, which use both a gas engine and a battery electric motor but do not plug into the electric grid. In 2009, approximately 700,000 HEVs were sold globally. In the United States, HEVs make up approximately 3 percent of the market for new vehicles.

In the longer term, electrified vehicles that get some or all of their energy directly from the electric grid, including plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and battery electric vehicles, are likely to play an increasingly significant role. The table below provides a generalized overview of the relative benefits and impacts of these different electrified vehicle technologies, based on an average compact or "C-car" sedan like the Ford Focus. The numbers in the table represent approximations based on Ford's testing and modeling research; they are not precisely representative of any current or future Ford products.

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  Internal Combustion Engine Micro-Hybrid1 HEV PHEV BEV
Technology Overview Traditional gas or diesel engine. Traditional gas or diesel engine and powertrain with stop/start capability, which shuts down the engine when the vehicle is stopped and automatically restarts it before the accelerator pedal is pressed to resume driving. Regenerative brake recharging improves fuel economy. Uses both a gas or diesel engine and an electric motor. Can run exclusively on battery power, exclusively on gas power or on a combination of both. Also has stop/start capability and regenerative braking – a key to efficiently recharging the battery. Uses a high-capacity battery that can be charged from an ordinary household 110 volt outlet. When the battery is depleted, the PHEV runs like a regular HEV2. Uses only a battery-powered electric motor, no gas or diesel engine. Runs entirely on electricity from batteries, which can be charged from household outlets or specialized charging stations.
Ideal Driving Conditions Flexible for a wide range of uses. Flexible for a wide range of uses. Improved fuel economy in urban driving. Flexible for a wide range of uses. Excellent urban fuel economy. Improved highway fuel economy. Flexible for a wide range of uses. Dramatically improved fuel economy in city driving. Suitable for customers who have access to a plug for overnight recharging and drive a combination of urban and longer commute distances. Ideal for customers with access to a plug at home or work who have shorter, predictable daily trips of less than 80 miles total.
Technology Benefits/Costs based on Compact or "C-sized" Sedan3
Fuel Economy4
(Roughly real-world fuel economy for a compact sedan)		 ˜ 30 mpg ˜31–32 mpg ˜45 mpg5 Not applicable. Similar to HEV when running on gasoline. No gasoline used when running on electricity from the grid. Not applicable.
Range on Tank/Charge6 ˜405 miles/tank ˜425 miles/tank ˜610 miles/tank An all-electric equivalent operating range of 10–40 miles, depending on battery size. A minimum 800-mile range when combining electric and gas. Range could be much greater than 600 miles/tank based on the number of times the battery is charged. Up to 80 miles on a charge.
Fueling/Charging Time Minutes Minutes Minutes 2–4 hours with a 220-volt outlet and 4–8 hours with a 110-volt outlet. 6–8 hours with a 220-volt outlet and 12–16 hours with a 110-volt outlet.
CO2 emissions7
Well to Tank ˜35 g/km   ˜23 g/km Current Grid:8
˜91 g/km		 Current Grid:8
˜114 g/km
Tank to Wheels ˜150 g/km   ˜101 g/km Current Grid:8
˜26 g/km		 Current Grid:8
0 g/km
Well to Wheels9 ˜185 g/km   ˜124 g/km10 Current Grid:8
˜117 g/km11		 Current Grid:8
˜114 g/km12
Purchase Price Premium $0 $300–$500 $2,500 to $5,000 $10,000 to $20,000 $15,000 to $25,000
Annual Fuel Cost ˜$1,200 annual fuel costs13 ˜$1,150 annual fuel costs14 ˜$800 annual fuel costs15 ˜$450 annual fuel costs16 ˜$350 annual fuel costs17
Payback Period18 NA ˜4 to 7 years ˜9 to 12 years ˜19 to 26 years ˜28 to 34 years

  1. Some automakers consider this a form of hybrid vehicle. However, Ford views and is implementing these technologies as part of our strategy to improve the fuel economy of conventional internal combustion engine vehicles.

  2. Another type of PHEV, often called an Extended Range Electric Vehicle, runs entirely on battery power until the battery is depleted, and then the onboard gas-powered engine runs to recharge the battery. The wheels are driven only by the electric motor, and the engine's sole purpose is to recharge the battery.

  3. These numbers are for comparison purposes only. They are based on modeling and testing calculations and do not necessarily represent the numbers that would be achieved in real-world driving conditions, nor do they represent actual products that Ford currently makes or may produce.

  4. The internal-combustion engine fuel economy estimate is based on the calculation used by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to develop Combined Fuel Economy (city/highway) values for the labels affixed to new vehicles. The Combined Fuel Economy value is intended to represent the approximate fuel economy that most consumers can expect based on a typical mix of city and highway driving. Estimates for the other technologies are based on the metro-highway drive cycle used for the U.S. fuel-economy regulations. Fuel economy calculations for all of the technologies are based in U.S. gallons and on U.S. drive cycles.

  5. In general, HEVs deliver approximately 40–50 percent better fuel economy than comparably sized non-hybrids.

  6. All estimates are based on a 13.5-gallon tank except for the BEV, which has no fuel tank.

  7. In vehicles using internal combustion engines, the fuel feedstock is assumed to be petroleum. In micro-hybrid vehicles, the fuel feedstock is also assumed to be petroleum.

  8. "Current grid" assumes average current emissions from U.S. power generation.

  9. "Well to wheels" carbon dioxide (CO2) includes all CO2 emissions generated in the process of producing the fuel or electricity as well as the CO2 emissions created by burning the fuel in the vehicle itself. It is useful to break this down into "well to tank" emissions, which measure the CO2 emissions generated by excavating the feedstocks and producing and distributing the fuel or electricity, and "tank to wheels" emissions, which include the CO2 generated by burning the fuel in the vehicle. "Well to tank" emissions are based on the GREET v. 1.8a model developed by the Argonne National Lab. "Tank to wheels" calculations are based on Ford's own calculations using the metro-highway drive cycle and energy use for electric vehicles. However, official methods for calculating CO2 emissions from PHEVs and BEVs have not yet been defined.

  10. In HEVs, the fuel feedstock is assumed to be petroleum.

  11. In PHEVs, the "well to tank" emissions are based on the percentage of emissions from petroleum fuel production and distribution and electric power generation, and the "tank to wheels" emissions are based on the percentage of time the vehicle is driven using petroleum-based fuel.

  12. In BEVs, "well to tank" emissions include emissions related to electric-power generation, and "tank to wheels" emissions are zero, because no CO2 is produced by running the vehicle on batteries charged with electrical power.

  13. Based on 12,000 miles/year, 30 mpg and $3/gallon.

  14. Based on 12,000 miles/year, 32 mpg and $3/gallon.

  15. Based on 12,000 miles/year, 45 mpg and $3/gallon.

  16. Based on 12,000 miles/year, 75 percent in electric mode at 3.6 miles/kWh and 10 cents/kWh, and 25 percent in gasoline-engine mode at 45 mpg and $3/gallon.

  17. Based on 12,000 miles/year, 3.6 miles/kWh and 10 cents/kWh.

  18. Based on the purchase price without any possible government incentives such as tax credits.