Ford has announced a series of measures that aim to make EV ownership simpler for its customers as the firm brings more electrified vehicles to market in the coming years.
The firm is calling the scheme a ‘Charging Solutions ecosystem’, which aims to deliver easy charging across Europe. This ecosystem will be included as part of the existing FordPass app connectivity services.
Through this smartphone app, Ford says its customers will be able to access more than 125,000 charging stations in 21 countries across Europe.
For EV owners who are able to charge their cars at home, the firm is offering a wallbox that can make charging quicker and simpler — with the box being five times quicker to charge than a domestic cable.
Ford is also a co-founder of Ionity — a new EV charging consortium that’s funded by a variety of manufacturers. It’s aiming to install 400 150kW ultra rapid chargers across Europe by the end of 2020, with chargers like these key to helping EV owners undertake longer journeys with ease.
A variety of other charging functions will also be available through the FordPass app — including EV trip planners that can identify the best places to charge to maximise efficiency. Drivers who have planned their route on their smartphone will also have the ability to send this to their car’s sat nav, too.
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Ford already has its first plug-in hybrid on sale — electrified versions of its best-selling Transit Custom — but will launch its new ‘Mustang-inspired’ electric SUV in 2020 as its first standalone electric car. Ford says this model will able to manage more than 370 miles on a single charge.
