福特汽車(Ford Motor Co.)正在不斷加速電動(dòng)汽車項(xiàng)目的研發(fā)。近日，公司投入45億美元，旨在推出更多的混合動(dòng)力車、插電式混合動(dòng)力車（PHEV）和純電動(dòng)車，到2020年，電氣化車輛將占福特全部車型的40%。
福特公司將在未來4年內(nèi)推出13款新型電動(dòng)和混動(dòng)車型，擴(kuò)大電氣化車型的比例。福特產(chǎn)品研發(fā)副總裁兼首席技術(shù)官Raj Nair表示，插電式混合動(dòng)力車（PHEV）將成為增長最快的類別。他還指出，目前福特是北美地區(qū)PHEV市場的龍頭。
福特將在2016年底推出一款電動(dòng)福克斯(Focus Electric)，其續(xù)航里程可達(dá)161km，可支持直流快充。Nair介紹，這款車的SAE認(rèn)證2級(jí)充電系統(tǒng)可在30分鐘內(nèi)充電80%。而與新款相比，目前的?？怂闺妱?dòng)汽車?yán)m(xù)航里程僅為122km。福特的競爭對手通用汽車最近發(fā)布了2017年款雪佛蘭Bolt電動(dòng)汽車，并聲稱該車的續(xù)航里程達(dá)到了驚人的322km。最近在迪爾伯恩（Dearborn）舉行的一次媒體活動(dòng)上，Nair多次被問及福特對此有什么看法。
《汽車工程雜志》從福特動(dòng)力總成部獲悉，目前福特正在進(jìn)行“多個(gè)電氣化項(xiàng)目”，其中包括輕型卡車混合動(dòng)力總成研發(fā)，和對現(xiàn)有PHEV進(jìn)行優(yōu)化的項(xiàng)目。這位知情人表示，福特或?qū)⒃?016年底特律國際車展(North American International Auto Show)上發(fā)布升級(jí)版Fusion Energi，新版本車型的電動(dòng)模式續(xù)航里程將超過目前的34km。
福特對汽車電氣化的大手筆投資，正逢北美電動(dòng)汽車市場受油價(jià)走低的影響，銷售普遍低迷之時(shí)。根據(jù)Autodata汽車資料數(shù)據(jù)顯示，截止2015年11月，福特C-Max Fusion和混動(dòng)版林肯(Lincoln)MKZ的全年交付量下跌25%，僅為59301輛。日產(chǎn)聆風(fēng)(Nissan Leaf)、雪佛蘭沃藍(lán)達(dá)(Chevrolet Volt)和豐田普銳斯(Toyota Prius)的銷量分別下滑41%、23%和12%。
目前，福特正在迪爾伯恩地區(qū)大舉擴(kuò)張旗下的電氣化動(dòng)力系統(tǒng)工程項(xiàng)目。公司在2015年新聘請了120名工程師，并計(jì)劃在2016年繼續(xù)擴(kuò)充人才庫。此外，福特還在去年秋天與密歇根大學(xué)和密歇根經(jīng)濟(jì)發(fā)展公司(Michigan Economic Development Corp.)聯(lián)手，在密歇根大學(xué)設(shè)立了一個(gè)價(jià)值900萬美元的電池實(shí)驗(yàn)室，用于研發(fā)能量密度、功率密度更高，且成本更低的汽車電池。
作者：Lindsay Brooke
來源：SAE《汽車工程雜志》
翻譯：SAE上海辦公室
Ford pumps $4.5B into electrifying 40% of its global product line by 2020
Ford Motor Co. is accelerating its electrified vehicle development program, backed by a recent $4.5 billion investment aimed at making 40% of the company’s global vehicles hybrids, plug-in hybrids (PHEVs), and battery-electrics by 2020.
Ford will add 13 new EVs and hybrids over the next four model years, raising the percentage of electrified vehicles in its lineup from 13% in 2015. PHEVs will be the fastest-growing type of electrified vehicle, according to Raj Nair, Executive Vice President of Product Development and CTO. Nair noted that Ford is the current North American market leader in PHEVs.
A Focus Electric with a 100-mi (161-km) range and DC fast charge capability will enter production in late 2016. The SAE Level 2 charging system will deliver an 80% state of charge in 30 min, Nair said. The current Focus EV can travel 76 mi (122 km) between charges. At a recent media event in Dearborn, Nair was repeatedly asked about Ford’s response to the recently unveiled 2017 ChevroletBolt EV, which GM claims will have a 200-mi (322-km) range on a single charge.
Ford Powertrain sources tell Automotive Engineering that the company has “a variety of electrified programs in the works” including a hybridized powertrain for light trucks and improved versions of its current PHEVs. The sources indicated that Ford may unveil at the 2016 North American International Auto Show in Detroit an improved version of its Fusion Energi for 2017, with greater EV range than the incumbent model’s 21 mi (34 km).
Ford’s amped-up investment strategy comes at a time of depressed North American sales of electrified cars in general, a result of low retail gasoline prices. Deliveries in 2015 through November of Ford’s C-Max, Fusion, and Lincoln MKZ hybrid versions fell 25% to 59,301 units, according to Autodata.
Sales slid 41% for Nissan’s Leaf EV, 23% for Chevrolet’s Volt plug-in hybrid, and 12% for the Toyota Prius.
Ford is significantly expanding its Electrified Powertrain Engineering program in Dearborn. It hired an additional 120 engineers in 2015 and plans to add more in 2016. Last fall Ford, along with partners the University of Michigan and theMichigan Economic Development Corp., announced a $9 million battery lab at the university to help develop more energy- and power-dense, lower cost battery cells.
Author: Lindsay Brooke
Source: SAE Automtive Engineering Magazine
福特汽車產(chǎn)品研發(fā)副總裁兼首席技術(shù)官Raj Nair一直在積極為電動(dòng)汽車的研發(fā)爭取資源。