The price of running an electric car could be dramatically reduced if the batteries that operate the vehicles could be produced for less cost, it has been claimed.
At the Plug-in 2009 conference in Long Beach Ford's manager of vehicle electrification Michael Tinskey said that this goal could be achieved if manufacturers agree to battery commonality.
He explained: "The biggest issue with batteries now is not necessarily the technology, it's the volume. If the battery manufacturers could get north of 100,000 packs, annually, prices come down drastically.
"If we could get movement to migrating to some commonality, overall that would be a huge win for the industry."
Ford has announced plans to expand its range of hybrid cars, which currently consists of four vehicles, and says it intends to introduce plug-in hybrid and battery motors.
Earlier this week, the first third generation Toyota Prius reached London, after being eagerly anticipated by the 2,000 motorists who had preordered the car.
One in ten of those orders have been placed through the government's cash for clangers scheme, designed to incentivise motorists to trade their ten-year-old or more cars for eco-friendly vehicles.
It has been billed as more environmentally-friendly than previous models while offering drivers high quality performance.
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