Ford Motor Co. (NYSE: F) and General Electric Co. (NYSE: GE) today announced that GE will purchase 2,000 of Ford’s C-Max Energi plug-in hybrids for GE’s fleet. The purchase will bring the total number of vehicles in GE’s total fleet of 25,000 vehicles to more than 5,000 alternative fuel vehicles.

The two companies also plan to collaborate with researchers at Georgia Tech to study the driving and charging habits of GE employees who drive the cars, and using the data they collect for “improving all-electric driving and charging performance.”

Ford’s C-MAX plug-in hybrid sold more than 3,000 units in October, its first full month of availability. The company still has a ways to go catch up with Toyota Motor Co. (NYSE: TM) and General Motors Co. (NYSE: GM) in numbers of hybrid and electric car sales. But the company already has passed Honda Motor Co. Ltd. (NYSE: HMC) in hybrid sales.

In addition to the auto sales and research, Ford said it will promote GE’s electric and natural gas charging stations to Ford’s commercial customers and will supply new alternative fuel vehicles to GE’s Vehicle Innovation Center, where GE’s commercial customers can test drive them.

Paul Ausick

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