Ford Shedding Electric
Trucks
July 20, 2005 — By Thuy-Doan Le, Sacramento Bee
Drivers who formerly leased an
electric-powered Ford Ranger truck will have a chance to purchase one
for $6,000 in a lottery system this fall, Ford Motor Co. said Monday.
Current lease owners will be able to purchase their vehicles -- as is,
with no warranty -- for a dollar.
The plan is in response to public protests that Ford was discontinuing
the program and sending the trucks to the scrap heap after the lease.
"A very small, but committed group of people ... love these vehicles,"
said Niel Golightly, director of sustainable business strategies for
Ford.
In January, Ford agreed to sell two of the electric-powered trucks to a
pair of California drivers who refused to return their leased vehicles
because the carmaker had intended to scrap them.
With the help of San Francisco-based Rainforest Action Network and
Global Exchange, a human rights group, a handful of supporters staged a
protest at Downtown Ford.
The company said it eventually allowed the two Californians to purchase
their vehicles for a dollar. Since then, Ford made "a commitment not to
scrap any more vehicles," Golightly said.
The protest demonstrated that a "small group of dedicated people have
the power to turn around one of the world's largest corporations," said
Jennifer Krill, zero emissions campaign director with the Rainforest
Action Network.
Ford began leasing its electric trucks in the late 1990s, intending it
as a short-term project with prototypes being returned at the end of
each lease. The company is now focusing on hybrid gas-electric vehicles
and hydrogen-based vehicles.
About 20 people have chosen to purchase the vehicle for $1, said
Golightly, who expects to have about 200 vehicles available for the
lottery.
"The batteries have been degraded somewhat, and some of these vehicles
need a lot of work," he said.
Buyers will not be able to choose the color or battery type. If
interested, former leaseholders must submit their information by Aug.
31. for a Sept. 23 drawing. Company officials said information will go
out this week to ex-leaseholders on how to register.
A Web site is under construction at www.rangerevlottery. com.
Worth an estimated $16,000, the Ford Ranger EVs will be sold for $6,000
each to cover transportation and refurbishing the vehicle and battery,
the company said. Most of the work will be handled by Sacramento-based
Battery M.D. Inc. The EV's batteries, which typically run for about five
years, could cost thousands of dollars to replace.
Kitty Rodden, president and founder of Battery M.D., said her company
has done battery pack repair for high voltage cars for all the major
U.S. automakers.
"We're going to refurbish these cars using older parts and batteries,
but we're going to bring them up to like-new condition," she said. "Once
the car comes back into the custody of Ford, it must meet all safety
standards, and with the electric vehicles, the batteries were not doing
well."
Because of Ford's new plan, Rodden started up another branch called Blue
Sky Motors to sell the electric vehicles.
Rodden said she could understand passion for the cars.
"I've personally designed a few electric vehicles, and with no noise and
no pollution, you feel like you're doing your part for the environment,"
she said.
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Source: Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News |