UPDATE 2:50 p.m. ET: We're off to ride an electric scooter by GM. Here's Ford's full release with details of the Focus Electric. (.pdf)
UPDATE 2:45 p.m. ET: They're finished up with the Focus Electric hardware and are now talking about MyFord Mobile, a suite of mobile device apps to work with the Sync navigation system.
UPDATE 2:35 p.m. ET: Ford has a technical schematic of the Focus Electric here (.pdf).
Sherif Marakby, Ford's director of electrification, doesn't say how far the Focus Electric will go on a single charge, but he says it's competitive witb the Chevy Volt. The car can top out at 84 mph and can fully recharge on just three hours, which Marakby says is half the time of all its competitors.
UPDATE 2:24 p.m. ET: No price, but Kuzak says the Focus Electric will dramatically cut fuel and operating costs in the first two years of ownership.
UPDATE 2:20 p.m. ET: Derrick Kuzak, head of Ford product development, says there will be five all-electric cars by 2012 in the United States. Details will be dropped at the International Auto Show in a couple of weeks. "It's about meeting the needs of the present without compromising the needs of the future," he declares.
UPDATE 2:16 p.m. ET: Turns out it's actually an all-electric car called the Ford Focus Electric.
UPDATE 2:14 p.m. ET: Mulally says he's about to announce a new Focus that fits into the "electrified lifestyle." This should be the Focus BEV.
UPDATE 2:12 p.m. ET: Mulally opens by announcing a new software update is coming for its Microsoft-built Sync navigation and communications system, adding MyFord Touch, a two-screen touchpad interface.
UPDATE 2:05 p.m. ET: As usual, Consumer Electronics Association CEO Gary Shapiro is on first, giving a highly laudatory introduction for Mulally, who's coming out now.
1:50 p.m. ET: Ford Chief Executive Alan Mulally is scheduled to take the stage at 2 p.m. ET for the automotive keynote presentation at the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. We'll he live-blogging it, and you should be able to watch it live here. Given the history of things, he probably won't be out until about 2:15 or a little later.
Ford won't explicitly say what he's announcing, but if you go to its Facebook page you'll find word that he's supposed to make "big news" alongside lots of teasers about the Focus BEV (for "battery electric vehicle") and an intriguing picture of a glowing charging port.
We've written up an overview here of CES's auto tech offerings, which are heavy on hybrids like the Focus BEV and full electric cars.
