By Richard Read

Richard Read

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Richard Read is a car writer, covering marketing, technology, social media, and other auto industry topics for High Gear Media. With a background in... More

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2012 Ford Focus Electric launch, New York City, January 2011 - Nancy Gioia

Ford has been burning the midnight oil for several years now, and its hard work is paying off. The automaker's One Ford philosophy has resulted in a slimmer product lineup, two fewer brands, and a healthy bottom line. Ford also boasts a much spiffier brand image among shoppers these days, thanks in part to the fact that the company avoided taking bailout money from the U.S. government during the recent recession.

But amid all that good work, and amid all the hype surrounding the company's Fiesta and Focus models, Ford's efforts on the electric front seems to have gotten lost in the shuffle. Luckily for hybrid and EV fans, it looks like that's about to change: Ford has now launched a Facebook page dedicated to its electric lineup.

At the moment, there's not a great deal of content on the page -- some discussions, two videos of the 2012 Focus Electric, a few dozen photos, and a poll. But since Ford is promising to launch "five new electrified vehicles" by 2012, more content is surely coming. Specifically, the page mentions the 2012 Focus Electric, 2011 Fusion Hybrid, 2011 Escape Hybrid, 2011 Transit Connect EV, 2013 C-MAX Hybrid, and 2013 C-MAX Energi.

The timing of this Facebook page launch is interesting, coming as it does (a) in the heat of the 2011 Geneva Motor Show press surge, (b) while the 2011 Chevrolet Volt and 2011 Nissan Leaf are still capturing headlines, and (c) before any of Ford's electric models are ready for showrooms. It seems like a quiet roll-out, one intended to pay off well down the line.

The launch also comes on the heels of a statement from Ford's Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Lewis Booth, who expressed concern about the viability of electric vehicles, given the current economy. He doubts that governments will be able to offer ample subsidies on EVs to make them attractive to shoppers:

"Electric vehicles at the moment are still very expensive and have limitations. There is a question mark about how long governments can subsidise vehicles when they are under so much pressure from other funding issues.... Some of the sales projections... for electric vehicles are very ambitious because I am not sure how customers are going to be able to afford to pay."

We'll have more about that statement -- and some rebuttal -- later today. Stay tuned.

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New Ford Electrified Vehicle Facebook Page Engages Fans

• Ford has developed a Facebook page dedicated to educating consumers about the differences in electrified vehicle technologies and providing the latest information about the five electrified vehicles the company will introduce (www.facebook.com/FordElectricVehicles)
• Fans of the page can access assets – videos, photos, polls and announcements, join discussions about electrified vehicles and even direct questions to the engineers on Ford’s electric vehicle development team
• The Electrified Vehicle Facebook page is where Ford first teased information about the all-new Focus Electric reveal and showed live-streaming video of its reveal from the Consumer Electronics Show in January

DEARBORN, Mich., Feb. 23, 2011 – Ford has launched an Electrified Vehicle Facebook page to serve as a place where passionate enthusiasts or curious consumers can find and share information about the company’s electrified vehicles. The page, available at www.facebook.com/FordElectricVehicles, is part of Ford’s efforts to educate consumers on the variety of choices available with electrified vehicles and what the company is doing to make an electric lifestyle as easy as possible.