Mitsubishi, Ford move on electric, hybrid cars

(CBC) - Mitsubishi and Ford said Tuesday they are closer to producing technologies and vehicles that will make the automotive industry more environmentally friendly.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. plans to mass-produce rechargeable batteries to power electric and hybrid vehicles starting in 2010.

The Japanese company announced Tuesday that it would sell the lithium-ion batteries to automakers, according to a report by Reuters news service.

Lithium-ion batteries are commonly used in laptop computers and Mitsubishi's announcement has sparked talk of plug-in cars. But the technology is costly and the possibility of batteries overheating remains a concern.

Meanwhile, Ford Motor Company on Tuesday unveiled what it says is the world's first plug-in fuel cell hybrid electric vehicle that can actually be driven.

The Ford Edge crossover vehicle can achieve a gasoline equivalent fuel economy rating of between 17.4 and 30 kilometres per litre using the company's HySeries Drive system. The technology runs on a fuel cell, gasoline or diesel engine that is linked to a generator to make electricity.

The vehicle employs a version of a power plant conceived for the company's Airstream concept car that was unveiled at the Detroit auto show earlier in January.

Ford also announced on Tuesday that it would deliver a fleet of 20 demonstration hybrid vehicles to six states this spring.

© the CBC, 2007