Electric Ford Focus Will Go On Sale This Year

DETROIT — Ford Motor Co. said Friday that an electric version of its Ford Focus sedan will go on sale in North America by the end of this year.

Ford introduced the electric Focus at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The car is expected to go up to 100 miles on an electric charge.

The automaker says the Focus can be fully charged in three to four hours using a 240-volt outlet. That's half the time it takes to charge the Nissan Leaf, a competitor that went on sale last month.

Ford also said its fuel efficiency numbers will be competitive with the Leaf. Late last year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimated the Leaf would get the equivalent of 106 miles per gallon in city driving and 92 miles per gallon on the highway. The EPA determined the figures by estimating it will cost $561 per year in electricity to charge the car.

Ford said the Focus will have a unique, Microsoft-designed powering feature that will charge the vehicle during off-peak hours, when utility rates are cheapest, to save on electric bills. It also has a touchscreen with information such as the amount of charge left, the distance to the next charging station and the amount of gasoline saved.

Pricing wasn't announced. The Leaf starts at $32,780, but it is eligible for a $7,500 federal tax credit that drops the price to $25,780.

The electric Focus will be Ford's first electric car on the market. It began selling an electric version of the Transit Connect van last year. The Chevrolet Volt, an electric car with a small gas engine that takes over if the charge runs out, is the only other electric car on sale in the U.S. right now, but other competitors are planning to introduce electrics soon. In 2012, Toyota plans to begin selling an electric RAV4 crossover, Chrysler plans an electric Fiat 500 minicar and Honda will sell an electric version of the Fit subcompact.

Ford said it plans to introduce four other electric vehicles in North America and Europe over the next two years. The electric Focus will go on sale in Europe next year.

Comments

[johnnygoodwud]

12:21 PM on 01/10/2011

it's far from perfect but a start. maybe one day we'll be able to charge our electric cars with solar, while they sit parked.

[Genosse Joe]

07:12 AM on 01/10/2011

Present Global Warming brings cold Winters with lots of snow.

I wonder if that car of the future can beat the SUV on a snow or muddy road.

And how much would be the annual towing bill for the owners of this wonder-car?

[Hopalongpoppyseed]

02:16 AM on 01/11/2011

You are being a little bit silly. When it snows, most people just want to get to work or to the grocery store, not challenge the worst conditions. It may snow here where I live tomorrow and as I have the day off, I am just going to stay in and mellow out. By the way, the best snow car I ever had was my 1960 Volkswagon Beatle.

[Genosse Joe]

08:06 AM on 01/11/2011

They will stuck in snow on their way to the train station or to the grocery store.
Not everybody lives in NY City.
As to Beatle being an all-Weather car for you, I wonder if the snow blanket was under 1/4 in. back then. My VW Jetta had failed me.

[Carbon Forteetoo]

01:58 PM on 01/09/2011

If Microsoft is involved, I would avoid it.

[amleth]

08:22 PM on 01/08/2011

So, 32,780 minus 7,500 is 25,780?

Dude, where's my 500 bucks?

[Genosse Joe]

07:13 AM on 01/10/2011

I wonder why I have to pay 7,500 for your car?

[Hopalongpoppyseed]

02:17 AM on 01/11/2011

Because you are a naughty boy.

[Bill Sr]

08:07 PM on 01/08/2011

If one quarter of Americans bought these the entire power grid would collapse

[heymack]

10:42 AM on 01/10/2011

The power grid needs to be dealt with no doubt.  Decentralizing around the new small shed sized nuke plants would be a good start.

[Hopalongpoppyseed]

02:21 AM on 01/11/2011

Hey Mac, You just cracked me up. BTW, there was a myna bird in the basement of Woolworth's in Berkeley in the sixties, who used to call out "Hey Mack!"

[Tracy carroll]

07:53 PM on 01/08/2011

How many people have an extra 240 volt outlet. You will have to pay to have an electrician put one in. Does not sound convenient to me.

[amleth]

08:25 PM on 01/08/2011

240 volts is absurdly simple to add to any 120 volt system. It ought not take more than ten minutes for a real electrician, and in a pinch can be done by almost anyone who knows how to turn off the juice first.

[youngbuck]

07:01 PM on 01/08/2011

YAY !
I can't wait !

[StrictConstitutionalist1]

06:14 PM on 01/08/2011

How UGLY. I'll run that thing over with my Hummer.

[Hopalongpoppyseed]

02:21 AM on 01/11/2011

It figures.

[krisbasiuk123432]

12:34 PM on 01/08/2011

Finally the people want the change the only reason why they made a electric car is beause the consumer wants it and will buy it.

[American hobo]

11:10 AM on 01/08/2011

I wonder what they'll do to offset the loss in gas taxes as more electric vehicles come on line. Probably add a tax to your electric bill if you own one of these cars?

[Debbie McPherson]

11:39 AM on 01/08/2011

American
 
Yes, they are working on that right now - through Cap & Trade - your electric bill will skyrocket.

[John Kramarz]

03:06 PM on 01/08/2011

no it won't. liar

[Yank in France]

12:50 PM on 03/04/2011

If only lies could be converted to fuel, you would make million$!!

[John Kramarz]

03:06 PM on 01/08/2011

just jack up the tax on the gas folks. They decided to lock their life into a commodity with a fluctuating price.

[Robert 999]

11:05 AM on 01/08/2011

This is absolutely wonderful news. Many Major Manufacturers making Electric cars. Especially now the probabilities of $5 gal gas. I want one soooo bad.

[heymack]

10:44 AM on 01/10/2011

It is a start but still years and years away from being a replacement technology.  Being able to drive 100 miles then have to wait 4-8 hours to fuel up is not quite practical yet.

[Hopalongpoppyseed]

02:25 AM on 01/11/2011

Almost everyone has two cars. So you have electric for in town and something else for longer trips, for awhile. I drove 210 miles (freeway) the other day, in my Honda Fit and got 46 mpg.

[jporcelli]

07:50 AM on 01/08/2011

I still am not sure why an All electric car costs more than the a combustion engine alone. A combusiton engine has a 1000 moving parts compared to 3 or 4 parts in an electric motor

[MIKEinNYC]

08:05 AM on 01/08/2011

The battery costs about $10,000 (yes, you read that right).

[thanos1966]

04:37 PM on 01/09/2011

not only does it cost 10,000, but you have to replace that battery every 7 years. batteries lose their ability to charge over the years. first year 100 miles, second 90, third 80 and so on

[BlackbirdHighway]

08:05 AM on 01/08/2011

It's not the electric motor, its the batteries. They are expensive although prices are coming down. Here is Deutsche Bank's latest study on the current and future costs of lithium batteries:

http://bioage.typepad.com/files/1223fm-05.pdf

[PayingAttention]

06:48 AM on 01/08/2011

Back in the 90's when GM was doing development work on their all electric EV-1 they attached a small trailer with a generator to extend its range. In California soon after the Toyota Prius came out automotive "hackers" had modified it to be a plug in which greatly extended its all electric range. The point is that smart people out in the field have a long history of taking automotive products and making them better. I hope that Ford, like the Apple iphone, would encourage people to develop "apps" to make it better.
Also, one ideal place to install a charging station (along with the dealerships) would be at coffee shops. Where better to brag about your "being green" chops than while sipping a latte grande surrounded by fellow tree hugging liberals as your electric car is outside saving the planet.

[Sim0n Gomez]

11:13 AM on 01/08/2011

Actually Ford is encouraging and to a certain extent funding, students to develop apps for the SYNC/MyFord system. I see them doing that for their EVs too.

The Focus Electric is just one of a 5 electrified vehicles Ford is introducing by 2012. I can beieve the juggernaut of good stuff Ford turned itself into.

[amleth]

08:34 PM on 01/08/2011

Of the majors, Ford is the only one for me. My uncle won a Ford scholarship in a high school program, then had to leave for WWII (Army Air Corps). Ford held the scholarship for him untikl he returned and then sent him to design school. He went to work for Ford, then went to Studebaker, in South Bend, IN for a few years becaus eht famous Italian designer, Pinin-Farina cam there in the 50s (Studebaker Hawk series was one of his designs). He returned to Ford in the 60s and worked there for the rest of his life. He worked an average 255 days a year (to some extent by choice) and loved every minute of it.

I own Ford stock and will continue to do so. They are the best, IMHO, of the American car companies.

I'm delighted with them. 

Fanned and faved.

Peace, best wishes.

[dporterdvd]

07:23 PM on 01/09/2011

PayingAttention: I hope Starbucks is paying attention to your post.

[Kyle W Bell]

04:48 AM on 01/08/2011

Even if the price is slightly higher than a standard model car, they will gradually go down as the technology improves and efficiencies are met. I'd definitely consider buying one.

[redsquirell]

02:46 AM on 01/08/2011

This is just a coal powered car if you get your electricity from where most Americans do.

[ibkozi]

07:23 AM on 01/08/2011

Coal represents 45% to 54% of power, depends on who you are asking. Just over half, not nearly as dramatic as you think.
http://www.ucsusa.org/clean_energy/coalvswind/c01.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coal_power_in_the_United_States

[Shaun Hensley]

07:42 AM on 01/08/2011

Most Americans don't get their energy from coal.