[The Vector] Electric Vehicle Watch — Ford's "Focus Electric"

The Vector hopes readers follow Ford Motor Company and note how it is guaranteeing its relevance in the 21st Century. First and most obviously, we like the way it cooly turned down government bailout money, then turned a $2.7 billion profit in 2009. Nothing says relevance like winning, and doing so without bilking the taxpayers.

Just as impressive, Ford embraces the EV future. In preparing itself to compete with the Nissan LEAF, the Chevy Volt, the Mitsubishi i-MiEV, and products soon to hit the streets from BMW and dozens of others, the importance of leadership in this space is clearly not lost on Ford.

Its recently announced Focus Electric has a 100-mile range, with a mile-per-gallon equivalent rating that exceeds that of the Volt. Compared with the LEAF, it charges in half the time — three to four hours using a 240-volt home charging station. And “there’s an app for that,” as they say. Ford’s MyFord Mobile smartphone app enable car owners to monitor charging level and preheat or precool the car while it’s still plugged in.

The Vector suggests that readers pay close attention to the early signs of electric vehicle adoption. It is clear to us that an artful PR campaign is being waged here; we’ve come across a spate of articles that suggest that only tree-huggers will buy EVs. We don’t buy it. And neither does Deutsche Bank. In a private memorandum that we tripped across accidentally, the world’s most savvy financial analysts project robust growth in the sector.