Ford going green with 13 electrified models in next 5 years

Ford is kicking off the new year be announcing seven new electrified vehicles that the Blue Oval plans to introduce in the next five years. While the hybrid versions of the Mustang and F-150 will be the heavy hitters of the group, they'll be just part of the $4.5 billion investment in electrified vehicles in the near future. The firm will also develop wireless charging technology that reportedly "makes recharging an electric vehicle as easy as pulling into a parking spot" and EV fleet management technology.

"Our investments and expanding lineup reflect our view that global offerings of electrified vehicles will exceed gasoline-powered vehicles within the next 15 years," said Ford President and CEO Mark Fields.

Ford will tackle the burgeoning crop of electric crossovers by launching one of its own in 2020. According to the Blue Oval, the CUV will have a range of at least 300 miles and will be available in North America, Europe, and Asia. Production will take place after a $700-million expansion of the firm's Flat Rock Assembly Plant in Michigan.

The same factory will build a new hybrid vehicle that Ford will specifically engineer for autonomous ride hailing. This service will start first in North America. A new law in Michigan allowing these services will make the state a potential site for the self-driving models.

Police forces in the United States will also get a more fuel-efficient option from two new pursuit-rated hybrid models for law enforcement. The company will build one of them in Chicago.

Europeans will get a plug-in hybrid of the Transit Custom in 2019, and they'll begin testing there later in 2017. Meanwhile, a fleet of 20 hybrid taxis based on the Transit Connect will test in New York and other major cities in the U.S.

According to Ford, there will also be six more still-undisclosed electrified models coming in the next five years. This total of 13 models will represent a major addition to the automaker's lineup.