James R. Healey

USAToday

Ford CEO Mark Fields says the company has the expertise and ability to build a Tesla-style full-size, high-tech, high-performance, long-range electric vehicle.

Fields stopped short of saying Ford will do so, but did say, "It's consistent with our product philosophy."

Ford's only all-electric is the small Focus electric. Ford also sells plug-in hybrids.

Fields made the Tesla comment Friday during a conference call with Wall Street investment analysts and reporters discussing Ford's third-quarter earnings announcement.

Ford said it has no plan to copy the Tesla Model S -- a big, four-door hatchback sedan. But a larger vehicle of some kind, with greater range and better performance than the Focus electric, would fit Ford's lineup and its emphasis on technology, the automaker said.

In the conference call, Fields said Ford has the engineering and manufacturing sophistication to do such a model, with the range and quickness that characterize the Model S.

Ford bought a Tesla Model S and, Fields said, "We drove it. We took it apart. We put it back together and we drove it again."

One possibility, though Ford didn't bring it up: Inject some verve into the flagging Lincoln luxury brand by having it offer a large, fast, long-range electric car. Lincoln already enjoys some success with its mid-size MKZ hybrid sedan.

Lincoln's big sedan, a derivative of the Ford Taurus, is the MKS. So if Lincoln were to electrfy that one, it, too, would have an "S" model battery car.

Tesla was supportive.

It opened its patents in June to hurry the development of high-performance electrics by other makers. The company said Friday it believes that automakers "and the world would all benefit from a common, rapidly-evolving technology platform."

Tesla could benefit financially, because it's planned "giga-factory" would be a main source for the high-capacity battery packs such cars would require.

In its earnings report Friday, Ford (F) said it had pre-tax profit of $1.2 billion the quarter and net income of $835 million, both well down from a year ago on higher costs, lower sales volumes.