Ford Motor Co. plans to offer customers of future electric vehicles access to the Electrify America network of charging stations and will partner with Amazon to install at-home outlets once its first long-range EV goes on sale next year.
The automaker on Thursday laid out its charging infrastructure plans for the first time, roughly a month ahead of the planned introduction of a long-range EV crossover, expected to be called the Mach E.
Its strategy includes offering free mobile charge cords so customers can plug their vehicles in either 240- or 120-volt outlets, the optional installation of a faster-charging home station, and new features on its FordPass app that show buyers range information and available charging locations.
"We've done our research with customers and gotten to understand the outlook and development for infrastructure," Matt Stover, Ford's director of charging, energy services and business development, told Automotive News. "To make them feel comfortable, there's no one single thing we can do. It has to be a collection of things."
Stover said a majority of charging will be done at home, so Ford focused on offering a number of solutions there.
One option is installing an optional 48-amp "Ford Connected Charge Station" wall box that can charge a vehicle from 0-100 percent in about nine hours, Stover said, which equates to roughly 32 miles per charging hour.
Customers can eschew the wall box for a 240-volt outlet, used for large appliances such as clothes washers, that will charge the car in a little over nine hours, or at a pace of 22 miles per hour, Stover said. Using a 120-volt outlet will charge the vehicle at a rate of 3 miles per hour.
Customers will receive the 240- and 120-volt mobile charge cords for free, but must pay a yet-to-be-disclosed amount for the faster wall box.
"We really think from a home standpoint, we've put together a comprehensive package of hardware," Stover said.
