Detroit Auto Show: Ford’s BEV-erly Hills

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Strolling innocently through Cobo Hall, I was suddenly abducted by a gang of well-meaning Ford PR flaks and Magna representatives. Their motive: To get me to drive the early prototype of Ford’s Focus-based battery electric vehicle (BEV), on which Ford and Magna will be technology partners.

A couple of reporting notes: Program Chief Engineer Dick DeVogelaere said that Ford and Magna will commit to building the vehicle’s batteries in North America, most likely in Michigan or Canada. (Magna’s U.S. headquarters are in Troy, Mich.) This follows GM’s announcement on Sunday that it will build a battery-assembly plant in southeast Michigan.

The BEV will be a C-class, that is midsize, car, but it may not be fitted to the highly anticipated European version of the Focus. The BEV may be based on a dedicated platform.

Behind the wheel, the Focus BEV is unexceptional. There’s a bit of howl from the hydraulic pump -- it has conventional brakes -- and the electric-parking brake disengages with a bit of a moan. All prototype stuff.

The most fascinating thing is that we were driving this thing in the miserably slushy, snow-glazed streets of Detroit. Most carmakers would be very reluctant to take their high-voltage gizmo out in such conditions. Ford seemed real OK with it. That’s progress.

-- Dan Neil

For more details, here’s Magna’s news release on the BEV; Ford’s is here.

rvws