skip navigation
back to Ford.com

Electrification: A Closer Look

In This Section

Electrification: A Spectrum of Technologies

Electricity plays a role in all current vehicle technologies. For example, conventional gas and diesel vehicles typically rely on a lead-acid battery to provide power to start the vehicle. Recently, in the quest for better fuel economy and lower greenhouse gas emissions, automakers have begun to design a range of vehicles that use electric power for more functions, including providing some or all of the power to move the vehicle.

A range of vehicle types, from conventional gas to pure electric, is shown in the table below. In the near term, the largest volume of electrified vehicles will likely be hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), which use both a gas engine and a battery electric motor but do not plug into the electric grid. In the longer term, however, electrified vehicles that get some or all of their energy directly from the electric grid, including plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) and battery electric vehicles (BEVs), 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-sized" sedan like the Ford Focus. The data is based on Ford's testing and modeling research. However, it is not precisely representative of any specific products Ford currently makes or may make in the future.

  Internal Combustion Engine Micro-Hybrid HEV PHEV BEV
Technology overview Traditional gas or diesel engine Uses only traditional gas or diesel engine and powertrain, but adds 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. Also has regenerative brake recharging to improve 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. Similar to an HEV but uses a high-capacity battery that can be charged from an ordinary household outlet. When the battery is depleted, the PHEV runs in normal hybrid mode (like a regular HEV). Another type of PHEV, often called a Range Extender Electric Vehicle, runs entirely on battery power until the battery is depleted and then switches to 100 percent gas engine power until the battery is recharged. Uses only a battery 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, with improved fuel economy in urban driving. Flexible for a wide range of uses, with excellent urban fuel economy and improved highway fuel economy. Flexible for a wide range of uses, with dramatically improved fuel economy in city driving. Ideal for longer commute distances than a BEV allows. Ideal for customers with shorter, predictable daily trips of less than 100 miles total.
Technology Benefits/Costs based on Compact or "C-sized" Sedan1
Fuel Economy2
(Roughly real-world fuel economy for a compact sedan)		 ˜30 mpg ˜31–32 mpg ˜45 mpg3 Up to 170 mpg4 Up to 140 mpg equivalent5
Range on tank/charge6 ˜405 miles/tank ˜425 miles/tank ˜610 miles/tank An all-electric operating range of 30–50 miles, depending on battery size. A minimum 800-mile range when combining electric and gas. Up to 100 miles on a charge.
Fueling/Charging time Minutes Minutes Minutes 5–8 hours with a 110-volt outlet. 6 hours with a 220-volt outlet and 12 hours with a 110-volt outlet.
CO2 emissions 8 9 10 11,13,14 12,13,14
Well to Tank ˜35 g/km   ˜23 g/km Current Grid: ˜91 g/km
Future Grid: 60 g/km		 Current Grid: ˜115 g/km
Future Grid: ˜71 g/km
Tank to Wheels ˜150 g/km   ˜100 g/km Current Grid: ˜26 g/km
Future Grid: 25 g/km		 Current Grid: 0 g/km
Future Grid: 0 g/km
Well to Wheels7 ˜185 g/km   ˜123 g/km Current Grid: ˜117 g/km
Future Grid: 85 g/km		 Current Grid: ˜115 g/km
Future Grid: ˜71 g/km
Purchase price premium $0 $300 to $500 $3,500 to $5,000 $15,000 to $20,000 $25,000 to $30,000
Annual fuel cost ˜$1,200 annual fuel costs15 ˜$1,125 annual fuel costs16 ˜$800 annual fuel costs17 ˜$430 annual fuel costs18 ˜$330 annual fuel costs19
Payback period20 NA ˜4 to 7 years ˜9 to 12 years ˜19 to 26 years ˜28 to 34 years

  1. 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.

  2. The internal-combustion engine fuel-economy estimate is based on the calculation used by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to develop fuel economy values on new vehicle “window stickers”, which are intended to represent the fuel economy consumers can expect under real-world driving conditions. Estimates for the other technologies are based on the metro-highway drive cycle used for the U.S. fuel-economy regulations. The fuel-economy values on vehicle “window stickers” are usually 15 to 20 percent lower than metro-highway fuel economy values for the same vehicle. Fuel economy calculations for all of the technologies are based in U.S. gallons and on U.S. drive cycles.

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

  4. Fuel economy for PHEVs depends on the fraction of travel in electric mode; the 170 mpg estimate assumes 100 percent of travel in the electric mode. This estimate is calculated based on a metro-highway drive cycle but no official method for calculating PHEV fuel economy has yet been established.

  5. The BEV mpg equivalent calculation is based on an energy calculation – i.e., the energy needed to move the vehicle is converted to a gasoline energy equivalent. This estimate is calculated based on a metro-highway drive cycle.

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

  7. "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. These CO2 calculations are estimates based on 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.

  8. In vehicles using internal-combustion engines, the fuel feedstock is assumed to be petroleum.

  9. In micro-hybrid vehicles, the fuel feedstock is assumed to be petroleum.

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

  14. "Future grid" assumes use of 100% natural gas to generate electricity. Future grid emissions could be higher or lower than this value depending on the mix of fuels used to generate electricity.

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

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

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

  18. 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 50 mpg and $3/gallon.

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

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