Aurora, Ontario – The Ford Motor Company and Canadian auto parts manufacturer, Magna International, will partner to introduce a zero-emissions, lithium-ion battery electric vehicle ( BEV), to be delivered to market in 2011. Ford made the announcement at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

The vehicle will be a small car with an expected range of up to 100 miles (160 km) without using any gasoline and without compromising customer performance expectations. It will operate similar to a conventional vehicle, but with smoother acceleration, less noise and zero emission.

“Our collaboration with Magna on a Ford BEV is the result of a shared vision of the potential of electrification in transportation,” said Derrick Kuzak, Ford’s group vice-president of product development. “This partnership leverages the technical expertise of two global companies to achieve a common goal, delivering a no-compromise, zero-emission, battery powered car for the retail market.”

Magna will be responsible for providing critical components that make up the powertrain and battery modules in the vehicle, and will also play a key role in the engineering required to integrate the electric propulsion system and other new systems into the vehicle architecture.

The new vehicle is expected to use a single-speed transmission, an on-board battery charger capable of plugging into a 110- or 220-volt standard outlet, and expected charge times of 12 hours at 110 volts, and six hours at 220 volts.

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