Autoblog

First Ford Focus Electric models en route to dealerships

Dan Roth — Tue, 22 May 2012 11:01:00 EST

The 2012 Ford Focus Electric is officially on its way to dealerships. Outlets in California, New Jersey, and New York - 67 in all - are going to be the first to receive the electron-fueled Focus, with about six cars each winding up on lots. To help dealers build more excitement for what's likely to be a slow-starting sales story, the dealers will hold one of the Focus EVs as a demonstrator.

Even if fewer than 5,000 Focus Electric models find buyers this year, Alan Mulally won't be disappointed. While Ford ultimately expects electrics and hybrid vehicles to account for up to 25 percent of its sales volume by 2020, the company is moving deliberately. Rather than develop and tool an entirely new platform, Ford's move to modify the Focus for electric propulsion is said to allow some semblance of a profit margin, but it's going to take time for consumers to warm to the idea of a $40,000 Focus, even if a third of that price is the battery, and Ford appears to be keeping this in mind.

After the initial 350 or so cars are delivered to the pilot stores, the rest of the Ford dealers across the nation will start getting the Focus EV before spring turns into summer.

First Ford Focus Electric models en route to dealerships originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 22 May 2012 11:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford releases photos of Focus Electric NASCAR pace car

Steven J. Ewing — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 15:59:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Hatchback, Ford, Electric

Last week, Ford announced that it would be creating the world's first all-electric pace car in the form of the Focus Electric hatchback. Set to lap the oval at the Richmond 400 at the end of this month, the official Focus Electric NASCAR pace car was unveiled to the public at Richmond International Raceway today, showing off the battery-powered vehicle wrapped in its decidedly modest racing livery.

We recently had our first opportunity to drive Ford's all-electric Focus and find it to be a pleasant and engaging - if inconspicuous - EV. These large decals certainly help the BEV to stand out, and we're interested to see how the Focus Electric looks while its whirring along in front of some power-hungry NASCAR racers.

Scroll through our high-resolution image gallery above to see a few shots of the zero-emission Focus pace car, and scroll down for Ford's original press release.

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Ford releases photos of Focus Electric NASCAR pace car originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 25 Apr 2012 15:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2012 Ford Focus Electric

Steven J. Ewing — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 11:57:00 EST

Filed under: Hatchback, Ford, Electric, Quick Spins

The EV Incognito

You know those "spot the difference" side-by-side photos that are commonly reserved for Highlights magazines in a dentist's waiting room? "Can you find seven differences between these two pictures?" Park a 2012 Ford Focus Electric next to its gasoline-powered kin and you'll essentially be playing a three-dimensional version.

But that's exactly why we like this zero-emission, battery-powered compact. It doesn't have a funky name, it isn't all bubbly shaped, and it's still as functional as any new Focus we've sampled to date.

So, does this whole package of anonymous electrification work? It looks like a Focus, but does it drive like one and offer the same refinement, too? We headed to the southern California coast to find out.

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2012 Ford Focus Electric originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 24 Apr 2012 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford Focus Electric qualifies for California HOV lane access, extra $2,500 off

Sebastian Blanco — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 16:30:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal, Hatchback, Ford, Electric

Following in the footsteps of the Chevrolet Volt and the Honda Civic Natural Gas, the 105-MPGe 2012 Ford Focus Electric has been granted HOV lane access in California by the California Air Resources Board (CARB). CARB not only gave the upcoming all-electric vehicle the ability to let people drive alone in the High Occupancy Vehicle lane but also qualified it for an incentive that affords buyers an extra $2,500 off through the state's Clean Vehicle Rebate Program (CVRP).

With an official range of 76 miles, the Focus EV is what Ford calls the "most fuel-efficient five-passenger car" in the States. As it has in other marketing material, today's press release announcing the HOV designation, Ford is touting ways its car beats the Nissan Leaf (hey, it "only" gets 73 official miles, remember?), as you can read after the jump. For more on the controversial HOV lane situation in California, check out this article from AutoblogGreen contributor Chelsea Sexton.

Continue reading Ford Focus Electric qualifies for California HOV lane access, extra $2,500 off

Ford Focus Electric qualifies for California HOV lane access, extra $2,500 off originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 12 Mar 2012 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford Focus Electric officially rated at 105 MPGe with a 76-mile range

Sebastian Blanco — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 11:14:00 EST

Filed under: Ford, Electric

Coming soon to select Ford dealers, at least those on the coasts, is the most efficient five-passenger car in America, the 2012 Ford Focus Electric, which the EPA has certified gets 105 miles per gallon equivalent, combined. This is better than what the Blue Oval was estimating publicly in December, when it said the all-electric Focus should get 100 MPGe. The Focus EV is also rated for 110 MPGe in the city and 99 MPGe on the highway. As you can read in the press release below, Ford is using the official numbers to go after the Nissan Leaf for the all-electric passenger car market. Ford says its new electric car:

... achieves a combined rating of 105 MPGe, topping Nissan Leaf by 6 MPGe while also offering more motor power, passenger room and standard features. Customers can make more use of this efficiency with Ford's faster charging technology that can recharge Focus Electric in about half the time of Nissan Leaf.

To compare with some other combined MPGe ratings for plug-in vehicles on the market or coming soon: the 2012 Chevrolet Volt gets 94 MPGe (one better than the 2011 model), the Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid gets 95 MPGe, the Nissan Leaf gets 99 MPGe, the Mitsubishi i is rated at 112 MPGe, and the current champion, the Tesla Roadster 2.0, officially gets 119 MPGe.

The EPA also says the Focus EV will have a range of 76 miles. As Ford is quick to point out, again, that's three miles more than the Leaf. Given the variances of EV ranges based on driving style and outside influences, those three miles won't make all that much real-world difference to most people, but it does give the engineering team one more thing to brag about.

For all the comparisons that Ford makes in today's announcement, it does leave one thing out: the Leaf's one big numerical advantage. The 2012 Leaf starts at just $35,200, while the Focus EV starts at $39,200.

Continue reading Ford Focus Electric officially rated at 105 MPGe with a 76-mile range

Ford Focus Electric officially rated at 105 MPGe with a 76-mile range originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 02 Mar 2012 11:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2012 Ford Focus Electric priced from $39,200*

John Neff — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Hatchback, Ford, Electric

The 2012 Ford Focus Electric showed up on the company website's configurator this morning with a base price of $39,200 before state and federal incentives, plus an additional $795 for destination charges. That brings the total base starting price of the Focus Electric to $39,995. Factor in a maximum federal tax credit of $7,500 and the price falls to a more palatable $32,495.

For comparison's sake, the 2012 Nissan Leaf features a base starting price of $35,200 plus $850 for destination charges. Factoring in delivery fees, Ford's EV will cost $3,945 more than Nissan's before incentives.

Options that will inch up the Focus Electric's price are few, but include special Blue Candy ($395) and White Platinum ($495) paint options, as well as leather-trimmed seats ($995) to replace the car's standard Earth-friendlier cloth seats.

What you'll get for your money is Ford's fun-to-drive Focus with a permanent-magnet electric motor producing 123 horsepower and 181 pound-feet of torque. The motor is fed by a 23 kwh lithium-ion battery system and mated to a single-speed transmission. A full charge can be had in 18-20 hours by a typical 120v outlet or 3-4 hours by a special 240v charger. While no quick charge option is available, Ford has partnered with a company called SunPower to offer a home solar charging option for an additional $10,000.

You can reserve your own 2012 Ford Focus Electric by clicking here.

2012 Ford Focus Electric priced from $39,200* originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 02 Nov 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford Focus Electric gets connected by AT&T

Damon Lavrinc — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 19:32:00 EST

Filed under: Technology, Hatchback, Ford, Electric

MyFord Mobile App for the 2012 Focus Electric - Click above for high-res image gallery

Hot on the heels of Audi's announcement to use T-Mobile for its future wireless data needs, Ford has partnered with AT&T to provide connectivity to the 2012 Focus Electric.

Nearly every EV or plug-in hybrid coming to market will offer some combination of embedded wireless data and an accompanying smartphone app, and as we saw at CES with our exclusive hands-on of MyFord Mobile, FoMoCo will be offering a similar solution for its all-electric Focus hatchback.

The partnership Ma Bell and the Blue Oval involves an embedded wireless connection in the EV that allows drivers with the MyFord Mobile app to keep track of charging, set specific times of the day to juice up (late at night when electrons are cheap) and receive a variety of notifications, ranging from battery status to maintenance reminders.

MapQuest has been tapped to provide charging station locations, range alerts, trip planning and vehicle location, and the MyFord Mobile app also includes the ability to remotely lock and unlocks doors, heat and cool the interior and download performance and system data. And if your phone doesn't have the app, you can use any HTML5-based or WAP 2.0-supported browser to keep tabs on your EV. Hit the jump for the full details and check out our write-up on MyFord Mobile.

Gallery: Hands On: MyFord Mobile App

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Ford Focus Electric gets connected by AT&T originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 22 Mar 2011 19:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CES 2011: Ford Focus Electric ready to steal the EV spotlight

Steven J. Ewing — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: CES, Hatchback, Ford, Electric

Ford Focus Electric - Click above for high-res image gallery

The Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf may have stolen the show for electric vehicles in 2010, but Ford is hoping to make big waves in 2011 with its first EV passenger car, the Focus Electric. The zero-emissions Focus hatchback makes its official debut at this year's Consumer Electronics Show and Ford says the car will officially launch at the end of 2011 here in North America, with European customers expected to take delivery sometime before 2013.

Visually, the Focus Electric has an improved aerodynamics package to improve drag, incorporating a new front fascia that looks like something right out of the Aston Martin school of design. (Too bad this isn't the Cygnet, huh?) The only other major design changes are the addition of a charging port with an LED ring to the left of the driver's door and a new set of 15-spoke 17-inch alloy wheels wrapped in low-rolling resistance tires. And speaking of LEDs, while the gasoline-powered Focus' LED eyebrow above the headlamp is only available in Europe, Ford tells us that the North American-spec Focus Electric will wear this bit of accent lighting when it hits production.

Continue reading...

Gallery: CES 2011: Ford Focus Electric

Gallery: Ford Focus Electric

[Source: Ford]

Continue reading CES 2011: Ford Focus Electric ready to steal the EV spotlight

CES 2011: Ford Focus Electric ready to steal the EV spotlight originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 07 Jan 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2012 Ford Focus EV to use liquid-cooled lithium-polymer battery

Autoblog Staff — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 13:41:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Technology, Hatchback, Electric

Ford Focus EV - Click above for high-res image gallery

When the 2112 Ford Focus Electric debuts in late 2011, it and the Chevrolet Volt will have a common feature in addition to their LG Chem lithium polymer cells. Ford confirms that the Focus EV will employ a liquid-cooled battery pack with automatic thermal management, just like the Chevy.

Ford opted for active thermal management solution in order to help maximize the Focus EV's battery performance and lifespan. By protecting the battery from overheating, the system can help prevent the development of cracks in the electrodes. Those imperfections eventually reduce the pack's ability to hold a charge. Conversely, warming the cells when cold will improve the battery pack's winter performance. When the car is plugged in, the thermal management system will use grid power to precondition the battery before charging actually starts.

So far, Nissan and Mitsubishi are the only major EV manufacturers that are sticking with passive air cooling for plug-in vehicles. Nissan has committed to an eight-year warranty, but it remains unclear how well the battery will hold up over regular use in differing climates.

Gallery: ABG Quick Drive: Ford Focus EV mule

[Source: Ford]

Continue reading 2012 Ford Focus EV to use liquid-cooled lithium-polymer battery

2012 Ford Focus EV to use liquid-cooled lithium-polymer battery originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 04 Sep 2010 13:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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