Green Cool Hip

Ford plans to release its firts fully electric car next year.  Currently, it’s known as the Focus Electric and as its name indicates, it will be a Ford Focus.  This will be the first full electric car from one of Detroit’s Big Three.

Unlike its GM and Chrysler counterparts, Ford seems to be embracing the future, and if we recall, never went hand in hat to Washington, D.C, crying for a bailout.

Ford has partnered with Magna International, using Magna’s electric car design, while the battery will be supplied by South Korea’s LG Chem.  The 2011 Focus Electric will have a range of 100 miles.

We expect to see more electric cars based on the Magna model since Ford did not secure sole rights to Magna’s technology.  Magna which has its own electric vehicle known as the “Mila Eva” with a range of 100 miles and charge time of 2.5 hours has also been in talks with BMW since last year.

Abengoa Solar and Abound Solar will receive nearly two billion dollars from the economic stimulus fund for building solar plants in the United States.  Both companies already have projects planned for the U.S., the most notable one being a 280 megawatts-electrical output plant for Gila Bend in Arizona to be built by Abengoa.

This is not only a step in the right direction as it will reduce CO2 emissions, but it will also create new jobs and spur rapid development of the solar industry in the United states.

The Arizona plant will deliver clean power to 70,000 homes, reduce CO2 emission by 400,000 tons and create about 1500 jobs during its construction phase.