Ford has said that its global electric vehicle plan is extending to Europe with five full electric or hybrid vehicles across its C, CD and light commercial vehicle ranges coming for European customers by 2013.

Specifically, Ford will launch two zero-emission full battery-electric vehicles including the Transit Connect Electric next year followed by the Ford Focus Electric in 2012.

Three other vehicles - two next-generation petrol hybrid-electric vehicles and a plug-in hybrid - will be introduced in 2013.

"We recognise that one technology does not work for all our customers," said Derrick Kuzak, Ford's group vice president of Global Product Development.

"Our electrification strategy and plans include hybrids, plug-in hybrids and battery electric vehicles to best meet our global customers' needs. Leveraging our global platforms is also central to this strategy and allows us to build on our strong product line-up in the most customer-driven, affordable way."

John Fleming, Chairman and CEO, Ford of Europe, added: "There is increasing interest among a number of customers in Europe for electrified vehicles and we are responding by stepping up our efforts to bring these models to the marketplace alongside our latest-generation, fuel-efficient petrol and diesel powered models."

In the UK, a consortium of Ford, Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) and Strathclyde University is preparing later this year to run a fleet of zero emissions prototype Ford Focus Battery Electric Vehicle prototypes, based around the current Focus model sold in Europe and using elements of the technology under development for the new Focus Electric.

The vehicles will be used for evaluation by both SSE and a number of fleet and private customers based in Hillingdon, Middlesex from mid-2010.

This new UK-based BEV demonstration fleet is being created partly with public funding from the UK Government's Technology Strategy Board (TSB), which promotes innovative industry-led projects that reduce CO2. The BEV research programme aims to test the technology's suitability and to gain greater insight into customer charging behaviour.

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