Electric car drivers will be able to fully recharge their cars in around three hours thanks to new chargers set to be rolled out by Ford and Schneider Electric.
The car maker this week announced it will offer installation of Schneider Electric's EVLINK electric vehicle charging stations at homes and businesses for an as yet unspecified price. Chargers will be available in every country Ford's all-electric and plug-in electric cars are on sale.
The devices are compatible with any vehicles using the J1772 plugs common to most electric cars, but have been optimised for Ford models, including the forthcoming Focus Electric. The company calculates a full charge will give the Focus a range of 162 kilometres (101 miles).
Focus Electric customers will also be able to purchase their electricity from certified green energy providers, although a Ford spokeswoman told BusinessGreen the UK partners will not be announced until closer to the car's launch date.
She added the company has no predictions of how many chargers are expected to be installed, but confirmed Schneider will offer multi-chargers to fleet customers.
"Through this partnership we will offer simple, efficient and sustainable EV charging solutions to every Ford customer," added Julio Rodriguez, executive vice president of global operations at Schneider Electric, in a statement. "This collaboration will help foster the development of the electric vehicle market in Europe."
The news comes as car makers unveiled a raft of new green models at the Paris Motor Show.
Along with Hyundai's hydrogen ix35 Fuel Cell vehicle, the most notable debuts include Honda's souped up CR-Z hybrid, set to go on sale in January next year, and South Korean manufacturer SSangYong's e-XIV (electric – eXciting user Interface Vehicle), a follow up to its all-electric KEV concept.
The e-XIV SUV can travel 80 kilometres (50 miles) on a single charge, but can take passengers up to 600 kilometres (373 miles) with a range extending system comprising a two-cylinder 1,000cc petrol engine and a 20-kW generator.
It also features 12 integrated solar cells that can be used to power auxiliary systems such as the air conditioning, audio system and internal lighting.
