Nancy L. Gioia
Ford Motor Company

We're proud of our accomplishments so far with our fleet of hybrid vehicles. But we have only just begun. Customers are demanding even greater improvements, particularly for urban driving. We are looking at a range of emerging technologies to ensure we can respond. One such technology is plug-in hybrids, which take advantage of excess electricity produced – usually at night – that would otherwise go wasted.

The vehicles we're developing are plugged in overnight to a regular 110-volt outlet, recharging a battery sized to deliver about 30 equivalent electric miles of driving the next day. More than 60 percent of U.S. urban residents drive 30 miles or less a day. After the initial charge is used, our vehicle switches to hybrid mode, providing over 70 percent fuel economy improvement in city driving. So not only is the plug-in technology a good technical solution for reducing petroleum consumption, it also matches the lifestyles of many customers.

A lot needs to happen to make plug-ins a reality. They must be affordable. And they must be viable as a business for all stakeholders. We're not interested in making only a few of these vehicles. We are focused on finding an affordable solution to make a significant difference for many customers and our environment. Great customer value and a sustainable business model are required to achieve this long-term goal. Accomplishing such dramatic changes in driving technology requires an unparalleled collaborative effort among automakers, suppliers, fuel producers, policy makers, opinion shapers, researchers and consumers.

We're not waiting for someone else to lead collaboration. We're pulling other industries in and bringing forward the data and dialogue to shape the new business model. Take, for example, our recent partnership with the utility company Southern California Edison. The transportation and power industries have always shared common customers and concerns, but we have never truly worked together to advance the same goals. Electricity now binds us with new, sustainable opportunities.

Through this partnership, we'll learn how plug-in hybrids can function as part of the electric grid – and what we must do to make the system work. If everybody plugs in their vehicles during the day, for example, then all we have done is place additional burdens on the electric grid system.

The climate change challenge doesn't allow us to work in isolation. Advancing technology and products to the next level will cost billions of dollars. And no one part of the value chain can bear the full brunt of that. Resources, knowledge and leadership are required. We are committed to invest, learn and help lead us into the future.

Nancy L. Gioia
Director, Sustainable Mobility Technologies and Hybrid Vehicle Programs, Ford Motor Company