Ford's recovery plan

9/15/2009 8:58 PM EDT

Nevertheless, the company didn't take a federal bailout, and the Ford family didn't bail out of the auto industry like some old-line, family-owned businesses in other sectors.

The company is planning to launch its first battery electric passenger vehicle, the Ford Focus, in 2011. It's first plug-in hybrid vehicle is scheduled to hit the market in 2012. Ford engineers are also working on what the company calls "vehicle-to-grid" technology designed to allow consumers to program how and when they recharge car batteries.

Pretty late in the game, for sure, but executives in Dearborn appear to have a recovery plan beyond stimulating sales through the "Cash for Clunkers" program.

Once the car maker gets back on its feet, the Ford family can again concentrate on fixing their woeful NFL team.