SANTA BARBARA, CA --- During the Wall Street Journal ECO:nomics conference, Ford CEO Alan Mulally told attendees that electric vehicles will represent a major portion of the automaker's lineup a decade from now, Reuters reported.

"In 10 years, 12 years, you are going to see a major portion of our portfolio move to electric vehicles," Mulally said during a presentation. In response to a question from the audience, he added: "Ten years is going to come very quickly and I think we'll have a significant improvement in the fuel efficiency in the internal combustion engine. You'll see more hybrids, but you will really see a lot more electric vehicles."

Mulally's comments shed some light on Ford's long-term plans for electric vehicles.

In recent weeks, Ford has announced plans for a battery-powered commercial van in 2010, a battery-powered small car in 2011, and a plug-in hybrid starting in 2012.

Mulally said Ford Motor Co. is committed to shifting away from its reliance on light trucks for 60 percent of its sales. In the future, more fuel-efficient passenger cars will come to dominate the automaker's lineup.