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Ford and City of Seattle Team Up to Prepare City for Electric Vehicles

SEATTLE, Aug. 26 --

    * Ford and the City of Seattle will work together to develop consumer outreach and education programs on electric vehicles as well as share information on charging needs and requirements to ensure the electrical grid can support the necessary demand.


    * The partnership between Ford and the City of Seattle also includes working with state and local governments around permitting, support for electric vehicle tax incentives and future legislations or regulations.


    * Over the next two years, Ford will introduce the Transit Connect Electric small commercial van, the Ford Focus Electric passenger car, two third generation lithium-ion battery hybrids (2012) and a plug-in hybrid (2012).


    * Earlier this week, Ford and Portland General Electric announced a similar relationship to help the city of Portland, Ore. get ready for electric vehicles.


Ford Motor Company and the City of Seattle today announced a partnership to help prepare the city for the operation of electric vehicles.  Ford and the City of Seattle will work together to develop consumer outreach and education programs on electric vehicles as well as share information on charging needs and requirements to ensure the electrical grid can support the necessary demand.  

"Ford has an aggressive plan to bring five new electrified vehicles to market over the next two years including the Transit Connect Electric later this year and the Focus battery electric in 2011," said Mike Tinskey, Manager of Vehicle Electrification and Infrastructure, Ford Motor Company.  "There is an incredible excitement for electric vehicles in Seattle.  To support the roll out and acceptance of these vehicles in Seattle and across the country, it is important to work with local utilities to make sure the necessary infrastructure and demand on the grid are ready."

The partnership between Ford and the City of Seattle, including municipally owned Seattle City Light, also involves working with the state and local governments around permitting, electric vehicle tax incentives and future legislations or regulations.  Continued tax incentives as well as an easy charging station permitting process are both considered keys to electric vehicle acceptance in Seattle and across the country.

"I am pleased Seattle is working to support the environmental benefits of electric vehicles," Mayor Mike McGinn said. "We are working with Ford to better understand the needs these vehicles will have so we can provide local owners with excellent service to support electric cars."

Seattle and Seattle City Light have been national leaders in promoting the use of electricity for personal transportation. Their efforts include:

    * Participation in one of the country's largest plug-in hybrid electric vehicle demonstration projects.
    * A commitment to respond to home charging station permit applications within three business days. Winning $500,000 in ARRA funding through a Clean Cities Coalition grant, which will enable the City to install at least 50 charging stations on public property.
    * Seattle City Light's fully offsetting its carbon emissions since 2005, the only large utility in the country to achieve carbon neutrality, which means electric cars charged in City Light's service territory run totally clean.


The collaboration between Ford and the City of Seattle was announced during Ford's "Charging Into the Future Tour."  The 14-city tour, which kicked off in Portland, Ore. earlier this week, promotes Ford's electric vehicle strategy and educates consumers about what to expect from electrified automobiles and what is needed from the public and private sector to support this new technology.

Over the next two years, Ford will introduce the Transit Connect Electric small commercial van, the Ford Focus Electric passenger car, two third generation lithium-ion battery hybrids (2012) and a plug-in hybrid (2012).

These vehicles will achieve breakthrough efficiency; some, like the pure battery electric vehicles Ford Transit Connect Electric and Ford Focus Electric, will use no gasoline at all.

Electrification is an important piece of Ford's overall product sustainability strategy that includes a range of fuel efficient and alternative fuel technologies including EcoBoost engines, six speed transmissions, power assisted steering, aerodynamic improvements and light weighting materials.  Ford's electrification strategy also leverages the most fuel-efficient powertrains, the most technically competent hybrids and our global vehicle platforms in order to develop affordable choices for consumers.

About Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 159,000 employees and about 70 plants worldwide, the company's automotive brands include Ford, Lincoln and Mercury, production of which has been announced by the company to be ending in the fourth quarter of 2010. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford's products, please visit www.ford.com.

About Seattle City Light

Seattle City Light is the 10th largest public electric utility in the United States.  It has some of the lowest cost customer rates of any urban utility, providing reliable, renewable and environmentally responsible power to nearly 1 million Seattle area residents.