Ford keen on investing in electric vehicles

Detroit: Ford sees investing in its EcoBoost engines and electric vehicles as "more solid bets" than compressed natural gas powertrains, which General Motors and Chrysler Group are putting into pickups this year.

Refuelling infrastructure is limited and the low density of natural gas makes it difficult to store or transport by vehicle, said Raj Nair, who became Ford's group vice-president of global product development yesterday.

Those disadvantages mean Ford will emphasise other technologies, Nair said. GM begins taking orders this month for pickups that run on both gasoline and compressed natural gas, while Chrysler expects to deliver trucks with similar technology to fleet buyers in July.

Diesel strategy

"Relative to what we're achieving with EcoBoost and our electrification strategy in the US, what we're achieving with the diesel strategy here in Europe and elsewhere, those are more solid bets to put really solid investments in for mainstream offerings," Nair said.

Ford last year introduced its first EcoBoost engine for F- Series pickups. EcoBoost uses direct fuel injection and turbocharging to increase fuel economy.