Two of the biggest players in both the computing and automotive industries have teamed up to tackle smart charging for electric vehicles. On Wed., March 31, 2010, Ford CEO Alan Mulally and Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer announced at the New York International Auto Show that they will work to together to use Microsoft’s home energy management tool Hohm to manage battery charging in Ford’s upcoming electric vehicles. Starting with the Ford Focus next year, drivers will be able to use Hohm to schedule and control the car’s battery charge based on factors like fluctuating energy pricing and a consumer’s convenience. We take a look at what impact this deal will have on Microsoft, Ford, and dozens of other competitors in the electric vehicle-charging ecosystem, from home energy software tools to utility back-end systems.