Ford Focus Electric Edges Nissan Leaf As Most Efficient 5-Seat EV

On Friday, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency certified the Ford Focus Electric at 110 miles per gallon equivalent (MPGe) in the city, and 99 MPGe on the highway. Combined, it rates at 99 MPGe, six better than the Nissan Leaf. But perhaps most interesting to potential Focus Electric customers is that the approved EPA label says that customers could save $9,700 in fuel costs over the first five years of ownership. As gas prices spike across the country, the savings could rise as well.

"We've been working for three years to make the Focus Electric America's most fuel-efficient vehicle of its kind," said Chuck Gray, chief engineer of Ford's hybrid and electric vehicles. "The entire group feels like a sports team that has just won a major championship. It's a good feeling to be at this point now."

Focus Electric features a charging system that allows the car's battery to fully recharge in four hours using 240-volt outlets that can be installed in residential garages.

Faster charging with 240 volts also can extend range as drivers can more quickly recharge between stops--up to 20 miles per charge hour--so they can significantly improve a car's range during a busy day of driving by recharging multiple times.

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