Ford: No extra charge for electric car recharging software

NEW YORK -- Ford Motor Co. says buyers of its electric vehicles won't have to pay extra for software that will help them save money when recharging their cars.

On Wednesday at the New York auto show, the automaker announced a partnership with Microsoft Corp. to develop a computerized link between houses, electric cars and utility companies to help manage energy use.

The companies say it's the beginning of a smart system that will help customers control electric bills.

The Ford-Microsoft system, called Microsoft Holm, would start with the all-electric Ford Focus compact car that is scheduled to go on sale in late 2011. It will allow utilities to vary their rates based on the time of day. A computer would determine the best time to recharge the car at the lowest cost and the least burden on the utility's generating system.

Charging an electric car can double a household's energy use, and utilities worry about taking on the increased burden. But charging the cars late at night, when appliances and other big electricity consumers aren't being used, can help manage the load.

The companies have time to work out details of exactly how the system will work, figuring out electric rates and loads on generating systems, said Derrick Kuzak, Ford's global product development chief. Microsoft already has the technology for home thermostats and appliances to manage electricity use, he said.

"We're doing a lot to bring vehicles to market, but there has to be a lot of other work done from both a consumer and utility perspective to make this viable and affordable," Kuzak said

Many utilities and other companies have been working on similar smart home technology for several years.