Ford invests $4.5B on electric vehicles to comply with federal regulations

Ford Motor Co. will invest $4.5 billion on electric vehicles to conform to federal fuel-efficiency regulations.

According to the Detroit News the automaker announced Thursday that the investment will be used for research and to add 13 more electronic vehicles to its line up by 2020. This will give customers more choices. This amount is Ford's biggest investment since five-year.

The automaker currently has six hybrid electric vehicles in its Ford and Lincoln lineups. Ford plans to have 40 percent electric vehicles out of all the cars it offers by 2020. Now, that figure is still at 13 percent.

"We're going to see more and more companies invest in electrified vehicles because at the moment there's some very stringent 2025 emission standards," said AutoTrader.com senior analyst Michelle Krebs in a report from the Business Times. "The way to get there is using electrification. It's a significant investment, but it's the way the industry is moving forward."

Ford President and CEO Mark Fields said that the customers' needs are the major reason why they are making these electronic vehicles. He said the regulations are just secondary reasons.

"We're really building on our Ford power-of-choice strategy, offering a wide range of products meeting needs while improving fuel economy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions," he said.

Meanwhile, Street Insider reported that Ford is set to launch its new Focus Electric. It has the latest DC fast-charge, which can provide 80 percent charge in just 30 minutes in a hundred mile range, making it two hour faster than the present Focus Electric.

To have an idea what the next Ford electric vehicles will feature, it is best to examine the new Focus Electronic.

It has the SmartGauge and EcoGuide LCD Instrument Cluster that provides customizable displays. This allows drivers to maximize the efficiency of their electronic vehicles. It has another smart feature called the Brake Coach, which teaches the driver how to efficiently use the Regenerative Braking System. It has agile steering and its handling is very comfortable, making it very fun to drive.