July 17, 2013—As Ford’s share of the U.S. electric-vehicle market has quadrupled in the past year, the company recently announced improvements to the on-road fuel economy performance of its hybrid vehicles, hiring new engineers and expanding its research facilities for expected continued growth.
This year, Ford's share of the U.S. electric-vehicle market has risen from 4 percent to nearly 16 percent, which is the biggest gain of any full-line automaker.
Ford reported electric-vehicle sales of 46,197 units through June—more than 400 percent higher than the same period a year ago.
Starting in August, Ford will make calibration updates designed to improve on-road fuel economy for owners of the 2013 Ford C-MAX Hybrid, 2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid and 2013 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid.
With plans to expand its electrification engineering team by nearly 50 percent this year (growing to 500 salaried employees) the company is investing an additional $50 million in electrified product development and testing centers in Dearborn, Mich.
