Ford’s partners with utility industry to advance plug-in hybrids.

Ford has teamed up with the independent, non-profit organization Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) to develop and evaluate new Ford Escape plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), study how they would fit into the nation’s electric grid and help accelerate the introduction of the eco-friendly vehicles.

This new partnership will work in conjunction with Ford’s existing project with Southern California Edison (SCE). For SCE, Ford is building 20 Escape PHEVs for testing in the Los Angeles area. The EPRI collaboration is aimed at determining regional differences to see how PHEVs will impact the electric grid system in other regions such as the New Jersey-New York area. The accrued technical information helps develop common standards among utilities nationwide.

This type of transportation-utility initiative advances the understanding of the technologies, infrastructures, battery technology and vehicle systems required to move toward commercialization of plug-ins.

For the environment, PHEVs represent a promising electric-drive technology that can lower fuel costs, reduce greenhouse gas emissions. and play a role in the national objective of attaining energy security.