Microsoft and Ford saw a problem looming !

Hybrid vehicles offer a way for people to save money on gas, although they may not always be the environmentally safe alternative to the internal combustion engine. With the increasing popularity of electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles that can be charged from an electrical outlet, Microsoft and Ford saw a problem looming on the horizon. When electric cars become widely available, extra demands will be placed on the power grid when people come home and charge their vehicles for the night. The companies came up with an application for the car that lets the user charge it at the time when the electrical usage rates are lowest.

Ford CEO Alan Mulally and Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer are surrounded by cameras as Mulally delivers a Ford Fusion hybrid with Microsoft SYNC technology on Tuesday, May 26, 2009 at the Microsoft campus in Redmond, Wash.  The car was Ford’s 1 millionth car produced with the Microsoft technology aboard.  (Joshua Trujillo, Seattlepi.com)