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DETROIT Ford is promising a milestone year: 12,000 U.S. jobs and five more electrified vehicles for North American customers.
"We will have the most fuel-efficient lineup in the company's history," CEO Alan Mulally said Monday at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
The auto maker debuted the 2013 Ford Fusion and Fusion hybrid and Fusion Energi plug-in hybrid at the annual show.
Mulally said the midsize sedan will go into production this summer.
Here's how the electric vehicles break down: two Fusions, two for the Ford C-Max and one for Lincoln which will debut the new MKZ on Tuesday.
The new Fusion Hybrid will switch from nickel hydride to lithium ion batteries, which are smaller, lighter and offer more power.
The car is expected to get an EPA rating of 47 mpg in city driving and 44 mpg on the highway.
Ford is not releasing pricing on the Fusion yet, but the goal is to keep the entry-level model as close to the price of the outgoing model as possible, said Mark Fields, Ford president of The Americas.
Nor would he discuss how much of a premium will be charged for the upcoming hybrids.
How many hybrids Ford sells will depend a lot on fuel prices, Fields said.
As all versions come from the same plant in Mexico, "we'll be ready for the customer preferences, whatever they are."
The Fusion is the third best-selling midsize car in the United States.
