Ford To Offer Electric, Hybrid Only Minivans

Friday, 10 June 2011 | by Pat's Picks

A minivan isn’t exactly the image that comes to mind when thinking about the car of the future. But that may soon change. Ford announced yesterday that its C-Max model will now only be available in gas-electric hybrid and plug-in electric versions says the Detroit News, making it the only Ford model without a gasoline version. The automaker says it plans on building 100,000 hybrid and electric vehicles by 2013; this year, Ford produced only 35,000. Ford’s vice president of marketing explained the decision this way: “We’re not electrifying a certain vehicle and making a science project for a few people. We’re electrifying our core (models).”

The New York Times also covers the Ford announcement, but plays up the fact that Ford is dropping its plan to get back into the traditional minivan business. There was to have been a gasoline-powered, 7-passenger version of the C-Max.