Quick Specs:

100 Mile Range
120-volt Charging
5-Passenger
Top speed of 84 mph


http://www.ford.com/resources/ford/general/microsites/electrification/images/polaroids/fce13_001_lg.jpg

All-Electric
The Focus Electric gets all of its power from an advanced high-voltage lithium-ion battery system, which means you'll never need a drop of gas. Its electric motor is designed to help reduce energy loss and heat generation, while reducing your carbon footprint.


http://www.ford.com/resources/ford/general/microsites/electrification/images/polaroids/fce13_002_lg.jpg

Single-Speed Transmission
The single-speed transmission is built specifically to handle the high rpm range that comes with an all-electric motor. It not only helps give you a quiet, energy-efficient ride, but also delivers quick responsiveness, smooth acceleration and no-compromise driving fun.


http://www.ford.com/resources/ford/general/microsites/electrification/images/polaroids/fce13_003_lg.jpg

Advanced Battery System
The Focus Electric is powered by a 23 kwh high-voltage, lightweight lithium-ion battery system. It uses an advanced active liquid cooling and heating process to regulate battery temperature and help maximize battery life, so you can get the most miles out of each charge.

My Mom currently owns a Prius, and She recently drove a Focus while on vacation and said that She hadn't had that much fun driving in many years. That was when I mentioned this little beauty. So, although I won't buy one Myself, My Mom probably will.[thumb]

I really like the idea of an electric car as an around town daily driver thing. I'd have to see how it drives and what the cost is first though.

I'd need more power, better range, and quicker refueling times before I got an electric car.

maybe if it was better range

The range is good enough for my daily commute and for the foreseeable future electricity is included in our rent. However seeing that battery pack take up what looks to be most of the cargo area is a major buzz kill.

my daily commute is 100k, so the range would have to be at least double that to allow me to drive in comfort in winter with heat, and summer with AC.

I think a plug in hybrid would be a better option. My wife has a short commute and it would be ideal for her, but we can only afford so many cars and she drives the Explorer.

oh, I soooo want one! It is perfect for my situation, have this for daily, our 02 for travel...

My little brother will be getting one

The loss of cargo area is definitely a drawback, but I'd keep a second car for those few times I need more range, and that would also be my vehicle for cargo. After all, there is no single vehicle that does everything you will ever need, but this would cover at least 90% of my needs.

100 miles is good for 90% of people, but this car is only for local trips. Having said that, electric power is MUCH cheaper than gas power, and there are no oil changes, fuel filters, O2 sensor malfuntions, etc. However, I need to drive 500 miles North every few years, and can't afford a local-only car. For people like my brother, who lives 40 miles from work, it might be worth it.

100 miles is good for 90% of people, but this car is only for local trips.

I sometimes have to drive either 70 or 90 miles to an airport to fly out of town for business. Until the range increases and/or charging stations become more common place, that kills the deal for me.

All my other driving would be a good match for this car, but it's not practical to maintain a second car for longer trips(where you need economy and reliability and comfort the most) or to only fly from the local airport(higher fares).

For a two car family, I can see this as being something they could use the other non-electric to cover.

I sometimes have to drive either 70 or 90 miles to an airport to fly out of town for business. Until the range increases and/or charging stations become more common place, that kills the deal for me.

All my other driving would be a good match for this car, but it's not practical to maintain a second car for longer trips(where you need economy and reliability and comfort the most) or to only fly from the local airport(higher fares).

For a two car family, I can see this as being something they could use the other non-electric to cover.

You're absolutely right- if you have an electric car you need to have a second car for long trips. Married guys can use the wife's car for that rare occasion.

I could get by on the range for my daily work commute but what if I want to take a trip some place and its my only car? I say a gas electric hybrid is the only answer for the Focus customers like me who are very concerned about daily MPG.

I could get by on the range for my daily work commute but what if I want to take a trip some place and its my only car? I say a gas electric hybrid is the only answer for the Focus customers like me who are very concerned about daily MPG.


There are a LOT of reasons why gas-electric hybrids are stupid. First, they are a lot more complicated. The dual propulsion system costs about $8k per vehicle extra. Consumer reports estimated gas would have to equal $8.50 a gallon to break even. Second, you have much less cargo space, because you have to haul all those batteries. Third, the performance of the batteries degrades over time, so the range gets shorter and shorter.

The new Focus gets 37mpg - 40 if you get one with the air shutters. That is a phenomenal engineering feat for such a big car. (better gas mileage than the toy-like Fiat, with 160HP vs. the Fiat's 110HP).

http://www.ford.com/resources/ford/general/microsites/electrification/images/polaroids/fce13_002_lg.jpg

Anyone know why is there is an "L" position for a 1-speed transmission?

Living near San Francisco, I can tell you it is good to have a lock-out for going up or down very steep hills. If you are going down it prevents your car from speeding out of control. Useful in icy conditions too, although we don't have icy roads here unless it hails.

Living near San Francisco, I can tell you it is good to have a lock-out for going up or down very steep hills. If you are going down it prevents your car from speeding out of control. Useful in icy conditions too, although we don't have icy roads here unless it hails.
I don't know what you mean by "lock-out" in terms of this transmission.

Typically, "L" on the gearshift means "low" which prevents upshifting and is beneficial on steep roads. However, this car has only one gear, so there is no shifting, anyway.

I mean the ability to lock out auto shifting. FYI automatic transmissions have no gears, they have "speeds". The focus is either a five speed transmission or a six speed transmission. The last speed is overdrive. "L" on a transmission allows you to shift manually into 1st "gear" when needed. The Mazda works the same way.

I mean the ability to lock out auto shifting. FYI automatic transmissions have no gears, they have "speeds". The focus is either a five speed transmission or a six speed transmission. The last speed is overdrive. "L" on a transmission allows you to shift manually into 1st "gear" when needed. The Mazda works the same way.
The eFocus is not the same as a gas-powered Focus. It does not have a normal transmission. With its transmission, the idea of a "low" or first gear makes no sense per the traditional interpretation.

http://www.ford.com/electric/focuselectric/2012/
The single-speed transmission is built specifically to handle the high rpm range that comes with an all-electric motor. It not only helps give you a quiet, energy-efficient ride, but also delivers quick responsiveness, smooth acceleration and no-compromise driving fun.

As far as gears: yes, automatics certainly do have gears. (Otherwise, they wouldn't have "speeds;" gears of various sizes (identified by "gear ratios") alter the speed & torque delivered to the wheels.) An overdrive is a gear that has a ratio less than 1:1. The 6-speed auto transmission in the 2012 Focus actually has two overdrive gears (5th = 0.867 & 6th = 0.702).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automatic_transmission?cf03800516=4B51E7FFB!MjA0MDQzODU2OmNvcnByYWRpdXNzc286Cb0VpIRGQHjLVQuu7evqFg==
http://media.ford.com/images/10031/2012_Focus_Specs.pdf

You win, and I really like the way you added citations and the link. Game, set, match.

Hammy

I might consider it, my RT daily is 40 miles. I'd really consider it for the wife and was looking forward to the C-Max Energi before they took away the sliding doors.

I would suspect "L" increases regenerative braking. IIRC, the Volt has a similar setup. To the consumer who is unaware, regenerative braking might feel like engine braking, like it's holding a lower gear. If I owned a Volt of Focus, it would probably be in "L" all the time, to extend the range.

The Leaf increases regenerative braking in "Eco" mode, but it also dampens throttle input. Lame in my opinion. "L" is a much better approach.

I would buy it if I was in the market for a new car. I could drive that car daily and not be afraid of doing projects on my current focus. I recently did the tranny swap and the mount for the crank sensor gave me problems I didn't realize I needed to change it and it left me driving my family SUV witch gets around 12 mpg and is a little sickening at the gas pumps.

To answer my own question about the "L" 'gear' for a 1-speed transmission:
I just read an article on TTAC about EVs, and it referenced the "L" as used on other EVs. It seems that it controls the regenerative braking/coasting. Putting the car in L makes the regeneration more aggressive, which will feel like engine braking that occurs in a low gear in a traditional transmission. It can be used in heavy traffic so it slows down faster when you take your foot off the accelerator. It also can be used on steep declines to automatically apply the e-brakes (the regenerative brakes, not the traditional friction brakes) & prevent excessive acceleration.

As cool as an all electric car is, I think they should have made a plug in EREV (Extended Range Electric Vehicle). EREVs have a gas engine, however it never directly powers the wheels. The gas engines sole job is to recharge the battery, which as a result could be made smaller. Because the engine doesn't need to directly move the car, it can be VERY small, even less then 1L. Of course, it would still run on gas, but it would get really good fuel economy, even into the triple digits. And making it plug in would reduce the need to use the gas engine. You could even turbocharge the engine so it could be even smaller and use even less fuel. But alas, it is to late for the Focus.

Sounds like you are in the market for the Volt.

I think Ford was smart to skip the entire extended range thing and build a pure EV. The reality is that the majority of families have at least two vehicles, which means that this fits for most families who can use their other, gas powered car, for longer trips and use the EV for daily commuting and weekend errand running.

Even better Ford is building their EV on an existing car platform (unlike the Nissan Leaf) which will greatly reduce the cost of parts down the road. All of the structural components, trim pieces, glass, etc, will be the same as the regular Focus, which means they will be cheap to replace.

I have been looking at the Prius Plug-In coming out in Feb-Mar. Now that I've found the Focus Electric, I'm seriously considering it. I just want to see and test drive one. All I see is late 2011 for its release. When is it coming out? Anyone have a more accurate date, other than late in the year?

It is coming out in CA and NY by "end of 2011". It will be out in the remaining launch markets in Spring of 2012.

The rest of the US is probably late 2012 or 2013.

I really like the fact that the Focus EV charges in half the time as the Nissan Leaf with basically the same driving range. I hope that Ford puts in charge points for customers at their dealerships to use like all the Nissan dealers have for the Leaf. I really like the fact that the Focus is larger and has more options - especially SYNC with MyFord Touch.

Not enough range for me. I drove a Focus turbo diesel in Germany Now, in 2011 EU emissions for diesels are MORE restrictive than in USA, so the "We can't pass emissions" is B.S. excuse from, primarily the US gov't [read up on the how the emissions are calculated differently for gas vs. diesel] and Ford (and the others as well.) I would MUCH rather have a Focus TD.

Certainly range is the #1 concern. However it looks very attractive as a second car if someone has an ICE vehicle they can take on longer drives.

Diesel lost a lot of attraction for me when diesel fuel prices rose to over 10% more than standard unleaded fuel. Might as well take whatever mileage the diesel gets and multiply it by .90.

Not enough range. I would go with a Prius in this case.

I think I'm kind of along the same lines as a lot of people on these forums where I won't even think about buying this until I can afford one for the same amount as a petrol powered Focus. It would take me too long to even break even considering the fact that my round trip to work is about 30miles and with me now averaging 29-30mpg that's just a gallon a day, I go two weeks on a tank of gas...

I'd look into one, but does anyone knows how it performs in bellow freezing temperatures ? Because, even though we haven't a lot of snow, the temp is well bellow 0 C in my area. And seing its range drop from 100 miles to 60 miles is not something I'd enjoy.

P.S. We have the EV now, can we have a solar system of sort on the top of the car to charge it "on the road" ?

I'd look into one, but does anyone knows how it performs in bellow freezing temperatures ? Because, even though we haven't a lot of snow, the temp is well bellow 0 C in my area. And seing its range drop from 100 miles to 60 miles is not something I'd enjoy.

P.S. We have the EV now, can we have a solar system of sort on the top of the car to charge it "on the road" ?

Ford's thermal management is supposed to improve the performance in high or low temperature extremes but I don't think anyone will really know until we start to get reviews of these things in the coming months from drivers in NY and NJ which are two of the early launch markets.

For me, I plan on keeping my 8 year old Audi around if I do buy an electric, so that I can drive it on the handful of days a year in which temperatures and bad weather would be a detriment to having an electric out and about. It generally does not get as cold here in Colorado as it does in The Great White North.

Solar panel on the top of the car could not possibly produce more than a hundred or so watts, just based on surface area alone. It would not even have enough current level to trickle charge the battery (at 100 watts it would take something like 72 hours to charge the battery to 50%).

However, solar panels on the roofs are particularly good for doing things like running the climate fan, so that when it's hot outside the car interior stays a little cooler, and then you would use less battery to get the car temperature under control on a hot day.

There is no way in hell I would ever own one. Not until electric cars can go fast and sound fast. I will stick with my gas burner, although I am interested in seeing the first person to customize one of these things.

There is no way in hell I would ever own one. Not until electric cars can go fast and sound fast. I will stick with my gas burner, although I am interested in seeing the first person to customize one of these things.

Sure, it's not for everyone. You realize that when Henry Ford asked people what kind of car he should build they described a better horse, right?

The horse was superior to the automobile for the first 15 years that autos existed. If your car broke down you were screwed because mechanics and parts were impossible to find (on the other hand, if your horse got sick there were readily available replacements, plenty of vets, etc). You could not get petrol at a lot of places (but the horse could get by for days with some feed and some grazing). The horse was faster too and you didn't have to pay a lot of attention to operate it (you can actually sleep in the saddle and the horse will let you get away with it).

Gas autos will have it all over electrics for another 15-20 yrs, and at that point, they will be on their way to being relegated to the dustbin of history... although total extinction is probably a good 35-50 yrs away.

Sorry to say but the internal combustion engine is going nowhere. its here to stay I'm glad to say

Sorry to say but the internal combustion engine is going nowhere. its here to stay I'm glad to say

I'm glad you've got it all figured out. Even Ford, who is very soft on electrification technology has said that they expect 15-25% of the fleet to be some sort of electric hybrid or full electric by 2030. It's not a big step there to full electrification or, perhaps something just as good, such as hydrogen fuel cell technology.

I have not argued that the ICE is dead. Simply that it is going to start going into decline in the next decade or two (pure ICE at least) and will very likely be a rarity in another 40-50 years. Will the ICE ever be 100% dead? Probably not. Even 100 years from now when they laugh at the hard headedness and foolishness of people who resist change for no other reason than that it's change, ICE vehicles will likely still be available as oddities and of course collectors will still have them. Might be a little harder to top them up at the corner station that will likely be serving up battery swaps, hydrogen cell cartridges, etc.

You don't have to believe it, but that's what all the data is pointing to. When peak oil happens and gas is routinely $8-$10 a gallon (regardless of how much we drill to try to increase production) the people who HAVE made the jump to hybrids and pure electrics will be getting a good laugh on the people who insist on driving gas burners that average 20-25 mpg at best.

When they make an EV that can charge in 5 mins and go at least 250 miles, then you will get my attention.

Amen timothy. electric cars have a ways to go. what good does a range of 50 miles do me and then u gotta wait 8 hours.

Nissan leaf can get a full 80 mile charge in 30 minutes on 480V. Focus can get 80 mile charge in 4 hours on regular 220V available in 90% of homes.

Yes, the charging takes too long for people who drive more than 50 miles a day, or people that want to use the car for all day trips, but many people don't need this capability in a daily driver.

I understand that it takes too long for people like yourself, but there's no reason to distort the facts to try to make a point.

The notion that you have to charge an EV x hours every night is a misconception.

All those 8 hr (or so) figures that folks like to throw around are to fill the battery from completely empty to completely full. But in real life, you only refill what you've used, not the whole thing.

My daily commute is 13 mi. If I plugged it in only twice a week, it would be plenty, and even then it would only take a few hours with a reg 110 V outlet, which is a complete non-hassle when parking in my garage at night. If I bought an eFocus, I wouldn't even bother buying the high-speed charger.

I disagree with the idea that an EV is pointless if it doesn't do what a traditional car does. That is like saying bikes are pointless because they don't do what cars do. The fact is, it doesn't need to. If you are in a position where a bike suits your need, it's awesome, and it may even be superior to a car. (That was the case for me in college.) In fact, you can own both a car and a bike. If you are in a position where an EV suits your needs, I fully expect you'd find them awesome, too. For me, an EV, even with the 80 mi range of the eFocus, would be superior to an ICE car because it is a better fit for my needs. They're just still too expensive. If the price was comparable to a hybrid like the Prius (i.e., just a few thousand more than a comparable ICE), it would be worth it to me to buy one.

I agree with your points. The average buyer rarely drives more than 40-50 miles a day anyway and many families own a second car which is perfect for longer trips.

Arguing that electrics suck because they can't go 250 miles on a charge and charge in 5 minutes is like arguing that you "need" to drive a pickup that gets 15 mpg because you haul sh!t home from the lumber yard once or twice a year. People being afraid of change is what it usually boils down to. I'm a big proponent of people doing what they want (driving something with crappy gas mileage if that's what makes them happy) just don't complain when gas hits $6+ a gallon in a few years and the people with electrics aren't paying hundreds a month to fuel their ride.

In fact for many people with a typical commute an electric is actually more convenient because you "fuel up" over night, in your own garage. No side trips to the gas station.

Get the price down to be more competitive with the ICE Focus and the range up to 150 mi or so, and I'd be happy to consider this. Having 480V charging points more generally avail (incl. at Ford dealers) would also be a plus.

In general, I like the Focus EV more than the Nissan Leaf. It's certainly a much better looking vehicle.

Ah, but the price does not have to be all that competitive. If you drive 1200 miles a month, you are paying between $150-$180 a month in fuel costs, depending on where you live. That cost is going to continue to go up as gas prices inevitably go up.

By comparison the electricity costs to "fuel" your Focus EV in a lot of areas of the country would be $30-$40 a month. So you are saving about $1000 or more a month on "fuel costs" which, if you keep the vehicle for 7-10 years should offset the increased price very very easily (a recent study showed the break-even on electrics in most areas to happen in as little as 4 years).

Add to that oil changes, etc, and it's not hard to see that they can charge $7500 more for an EV and get away with it... at least as long as there is sufficient demand and high gas prices.

Electric companys are drolling at the notion of electric cars.............its their big payday.

Yeah, you are right, we are far better off and better Americans to give our hard earned greenbacks to the oil companies than to those greedy US electric companies. [hah]

Maybe you can quote a couple more mis-factual zingers like how a few million electric cars will crush the US energy grid.

Its great that electric cars are finally arriving day by day our world although I still believe they are a little ahead of their time and I'd rather wait about 5 more years of electric cars being around, because that's just going to give them a lot more time for technology and features to advance. And like someone said this is just too weak for me I'd need a little more power than just 84mph max and 100 miles per charge.

no thanks ill stay with my 136hp et

I think I'd consider one if the price was in line with the other Focus models. My commute is about 10 miles each way and we can always use my wife's car or rent a car for long trips. But I'm not going to pay more than $25k for a Focus, regardless of what kind of fuel savings it's going to give me.

I love the idea of the Volt (EREV), but again, $40k is way too much for what is essentially a Cruze.

I think I'd consider one if the price was in line with the other Focus models. My commute is about 10 miles each way and we can always use my wife's car or rent a car for long trips. But I'm not going to pay more than $25k for a Focus, regardless of what kind of fuel savings it's going to give me.

I love the idea of the Volt (EREV), but again, $40k is way too much for what is essentially a Cruze.

It is expensive, but it's a bit silly to believe that it can be sold for the same cost as other Focus versions when it includes a battery pack that conservatively costs between $12,000 and $20,000 dollars. Remember also that you get a $7500 rebate on your taxes the year you buy it and you also in many cases get additional state subsidies as well as perks like parking in restricted areas, using HOV lanes, etc.

For the typical driver who travels 12,000 miles a year, the savings on fuel at $4 a gallon would be about $1600 per year not to mention $100+ in oil changes, etc. The electric cost to operate the vehicle, in most states would be about $400 a year. So, you are paying an extra $7K up front for the car compared to the ICE version, you get some extra perks (HOV, etc) and you save $about $1200 a year in fuel costs, meaning you probably break even in six or less years. Some reports have suggested the breakeven could be in as little as five years.

You also have the satisfaction of driving a zero emissions vehicle and reducing reliance on foreign energy sources. It's easier to control emissions at a central power plant than control it in millions of individual vehicles, not to mention that nearly all US power grid energy sources are domestically generated and many of them are far greener than oil burning.

The only real downside I see is that probably in 10-12 years, if you keep it long term you will need to replace the battery, but the prices of those have been consistently falling 8% a year, so the $15K battery pack today will probably cost less than $5K when it needs replacement in 12 years.

I would really consider getting one, but it does not have enough range for me. If I had a typical 10 mile each way commute it would be a bit of a no brainer.

It's not a no-emissions vehicle, you still need to generate the electricity to charge up the battery. Your electric bill is going to go way up, and a fast charge will cost you some bucks. I like the concept and hope the range and price improves, but I think it's wrong for us to be paying a $7500 rebate to buyers. We are spending way too much in this country and this doesn't help. Even with that rebate, you would have to own and drive your EV for 20+ years to save anything. That's unlikely.

The most recent reports from 3rd parties peg the break even point at about 7 yrs, not 20. I broke it all down in the post above but you seem to have ignored it to get your point in, and I hate to break it to you but you're misinformed.

For one thing, there are plenty of places in the US were electricity is produced from hydro or nuclear power and there are no appreciable emissions at all from the electric power generation.

Or, if you're like me, you invested in solar and you produce your own electricity so the cost of adding 500 kWh for electric car charging every month is a minimal expense, or no expense at all.

As to the government subsidizing electrics, it is creating a lot of jobs, here, just like when the US subsidizes any other industry whether it be the gas, oil and coal industries, the defense industry, etc.... but I don't see people up in arms about that stuff.

Sorry 20 years is a bit of an exaggeration. The only way your going to pay it off in 7 years is to trade your SUV. But if you compare apples to apples, or Focus Gas to Focus EV your looking at 10 years once you factor in the cost of the charging station. That is based on some optimism that your battery will last that long and that as it ages it wont require even longer charging times. I shudder to think of what a new battery will cost for one.

Also the majority of electricity is not produced by hydro or alt energy. That is just a fact of life.

I'm not for any subsidies, I don't mind TEMPORARY incentives to spark new technology, but they seem to find a way to extend them forever.

So far my only investment in solar is lawn lighting and a battery charger for my old Ford. I have yet to see an affordable home unit that will last beyond the payoff point.

If the initial cost was not so high, I would buy one for my wife. She has a short commute and probably wouldn't use enough juice to fully drain the battery each day making the standard 110v charge acceptable. However she would have to have a second car to actually go any real distance. For me, I commute 100 miles a day and will just stick to my evil gas burning Focus for now.

"100 mile range" = not likely to actually get 100 miles out of it, not if you use the radio, heat, ac, windows, door locks, nav, or any other electronic device. My commute is about 30miles each way, on CT highways; a top speed of 84mph isnt going to cut it, not to mention the abysmal acceleration. I'd have to plug it in every night with the hopes that it's fully charged the next day, not to mention when I travel for work about the state.
I'll keep my motorcycle for the summer (better than 40mpg on average) and get something else for the winter.

I like the idea of electric cars, but the technology just isn't there yet to make them a viable option, and neither is the infrastructure, mainly quick charge stations.

I would love to get away from a gas vehicle, unfortunately this is just not the answer yet. To expensive. I'd rather buy a Prius.
Go Solar people. Wether it be for electricity or a hot water system. I just installed an 80gallon hot water system myself. Fairly easy to install. Saves me around $50/month in electric (we have an electric ht wtr htr). Total cost $3600. Minus the tax rebates it will pay for itself in about 2.5 years. Local dealer in NY sells full kits. Sunpeak USA is the brand name. This stuff is a no brainer.

Can I chime in?
Electric cost aye? Ever heard of solid waste to energy? It works. florida has I believe around ten operating waste to energy facilities. Using twin boilers and one turbine(palm beach county} Two boilers two turbines120 megawatts..(miami dade).. two boilers one turbine.{ broward.}.....FPL hated that!.[clap]{ they have to buy that electric.........Its the law.The first plant ever to become fully functional in the united states was miami. Started operating and brought on line in 1980 or there abouts.This is the solution but the EPA is all over them like white on rice. The exhaust is wet scrubbed. thats not smoke its steam. But they are dumb, deaf and blind. And for some odd reason , Ignore the stack levels........I think some times the EPA is on the take.[gunfire]Another big benefit is jobs and way less landfills.

However Im not Interested in a electric vehicle...count this old man out!.....Probably wont ever...Im way to old school. I reckon ill be buying gasoline...................and like it..just saying.

Definitely not me. I'm not giving up my manual transmission.[driving]

when i drove it it could accelerate up to highway speeds pretty quickly. i was surprised i'm positive it did it much quicker then my 01 Taurus, but not as fast as my procharged 04 focus. the car is also the quietest thing i have ever been in, which was a major selling point to me, it seemed really refined and luxurious.

the car can be fully charged off a 120v source in 6 hours assuming its completely dead.

will i buy one, no i can't afford it. would i if i had a good amount of money maybe, have to see what incentives you can get on one.

but yes they need to implement some of the concepts they were presenting.

i also think it can get more then 100miles range or atleast the one i drove had been doing 10 mile trips for 2 hours straight. and when swapping out drivers they didn't charge it. when i was done driving it it still said it had 56 mile range left.

right now they really need a break threw in energy storage. if they can find something cheap and high density i could see electric cars taking off pretty quickly. till then i think an expectation of EV's penetration to be maybe 1-2%

"100 mile range" = not likely to actually get 100 miles out of it, not if you use the radio, heat, ac, windows, door locks, nav, or any other electronic device. My commute is about 30miles each way, on CT highways; a top speed of 84mph isnt going to cut it, not to mention the abysmal acceleration. I'd have to plug it in every night with the hopes that it's fully charged the next day, not to mention when I travel for work about the state.
I'll keep my motorcycle for the summer (better than 40mpg on average) and get something else for the winter.

I like the idea of electric cars, but the technology just isn't there yet to make them a viable option, and neither is the infrastructure, mainly quick charge stations.

Yes, i have ordered the FFE vehicle.

I've got a 65 mile round trip commute, so before I could even consider it, my employer would have to install charging stations. But I like the FFE, except for the price.

I've got a 65 mile round trip commute, so before I could even consider it, my employer would have to install charging stations. But I like the FFE, except for the price.

Charlie, I have an 80 mile round commute, same problem. My employer had room in his electric panel boxes for a 40 amp 240 circuit breaker. I talked to him and he opted to install an outside outlet for my charger.

For us the FFE makes a world of economic sense. My guess is you are commutiong 16-17000 miles per year. I am doing 20,000. I spend $3300 on gasoline. With the FFE I will be spending $600.00 per year. So I will be saving $2700.00 per year!!!

I ordered my car in Novemeber of 2011. The Chicago Tribune just wrote a story that Ford is delivering to dealers, their first round of cars, this weekend. I am excited because I am in the first round. Hopefully, I will be getting it within the next week.

http://insideevs.com/chicago-tribune-ford-to-start-shipping-focus-electric-to-dealers-this-weekend/

I will keep you posted on my savings.

Charlie, I have an 80 mile round commute, same problem. My employer had room in his electric panel boxes for a 40 amp 240 circuit breaker. I talked to him and he opted to install an outside outlet for my charger.

For us the FFE makes a world of economic sense. My guess is you are commutiong 16-17000 miles per year. I am doing 20,000. I spend $3300 on gasoline. With the FFE I will be spending $600.00 per year. So I will be saving $2700.00 per year!!!

I ordered my car in Novemeber of 2011. The Chicago Tribune just wrote a story that Ford is delivering to dealers, their first round of cars, this weekend. I am excited because I am in the first round. Hopefully, I will be getting it within the next week.

http://insideevs.com/chicago-tribune-ford-to-start-shipping-focus-electric-to-dealers-this-weekend/

I will keep you posted on my savings.

Spare,

Please do let us know how it works out. I'm intrigued by the Focus Electric, and I hope it catches on like wildfire, but here are how the numbers work out for me...

I paid $17,200 for my gas-powered 2012 Focus SE, versus $32,500 (with the tax break) for the Focus Electric. (NOT including an extra $1500 for the home charging unit.)
I average ~39MPG in my current Focus, which equates to $6.60 of gas per workday (assuming $4.00 gas).
So I spend $1716 per year on gas to commute 16,900 miles.
The same distance would cost $676 per year in a Focus Electric (at $0.04 per mile).
The operating savings, $1040, would take nearly 15 years to recoup the extra cost of the Focus Electric ($32,500) vs. my gas Focus ($17,200). Add at least another year to pay for the charging unit.
So I'd be 16 years out from breaking even on a Focus Electric. Plus I couldn't take it on road trips.

So economically it doesn't make any sense right now. But like I said, I'm stoked about the technology, and if you're doing it purely for geopolitical and/or environmental reasons, I admire that too.

The above is a good picture of the delemma facing electric vehicles. The only item left out of your economics equation is comparably equipped units. The ICE Focus equiped as well as the Electric runs approximently $26-$28K. Those numbers significantly lower the equation.
That being said, I do believe there is a commitment to alternative engineering involved here. I will be smiling everytime I pass the gas pumps. It will give me great pleasure to know I am slightly reducing my carbon footprint in the universe.
I will keep you posted on my actual m/kWH in relationship to cost and other metrics.

Right, my trim level is lower, though in my mind some lower-end features, like the manual transmission, is better than the "upgrades."

And I thought about something else...if my employer installed a charger and provided the electricity, that would change my equation to about 12 years break-even since half of my charging would be free. Sounds like that's what you've got going in your case.

Charlie, I can feel you dreaming. HaHa...
For me, I just don't have that many years left to wait for the next generation of these units. But, I do believe in a reasonable period of time, 3-5 years, these autos will be amazing and competitively priced.
At this point in time I am due for a new commuter car. My current car gets 25 mpg so I am ripe to get this. If I drive this car 10 years (20,000 commuter miles/year) I will effectively pay for this auto in gasoline savings. Plus I am pushing the envelope of the future.

Hopefully my last update from Ford Customer Service. (I doubt it!!!)

Mr. Foss,

Good news! The system has been updated and your vehicle is moving! It is only moving on the plant grounds at this time, but we are under the impression that it is awaiting its rail car. We should have more information within the next couple of days. I will follow-up with you and let you know any additional information I am able to obtain 05-25-2012.

"It's only moving on the plant grounds at this time.....

This is from my dealer salesperson and a reference from the sales manager....

Hi Wood,

Brian had heard that the EV's should be here by June 1. Sounds a bit aggressive with the holiday but we'll
see. Will let you know if I hear anything....

Regards,

My Focus has arrived at the dealership in NY and I will be picking it up this coming Wednesday, 5/30/12.

Certainly range is the #1 concern. However it looks very attractive as a second car if someone has an ICE vehicle they can take on longer drives.

Diesel lost a lot of attraction for me when diesel fuel prices rose to over 10% more than standard unleaded fuel. Might as well take whatever mileage the diesel gets and multiply it by .90.

No, your math is not complete. Diesel fuel tax results in a ~10% more cost but the engine gets ~20% better fuel economy. So...two Foci driven the same miles, the same load and same driving style...diesel engine version costs less to operate. This is even greater if you drive above average miles per year. Multiply the gasoline engine's mileage by 0.9 and that equals cost driving the diesel on the cost per distance basis.

My Focus has arrived at the dealership in NY and I will be picking it up this coming Wednesday, 5/30/12.

Hey Spare is this your car I saw at work on Friday Vin ends with 848
http://i281.photobucket.com/albums/kk218/vfrdev/P1030158.jpg

Sweet.

My wife is obsessed with Prius, she wants me to buy it for her BD but I'm not sure whether it is worth buying. I was thinking about Focus but she insists on Prius. I've carried out a little research (including this forum's feedbacks) and I see that the opinions are polarized between two diametrically opposing groups. I'm confused

the opinions are polarized between two diametrically opposing groups

Every hybrid/electric car has its own entry point. I am glad we finally have so many choices. Look at what you want in an automobile. You would do that with anyother auto purchase. If you needed a pick-up truck there would be a reason. If you were buying a caddie there would be a reason.

For me it was commuting. My wife and I drive 80 miles round trip to work. That makes for an easy decision. 20,000 miles per year of commuting and I save $2000.00 in fuel cost. I don't need range, because I have a nice gasser to go on trips with.

So, ask your wife her needs. How many people will ride in the car, on average how many miles does she drive, how much storage do you need, will you take it on long trips?

The Prius is a gasser, it only gets about 11 miles on its battery, but it has range and good fuel economy, 40 mpg. The Focus is all electric, a great city car and commuter car with an equivilant of 105 mpg economy. The asthetics are up to your tastes. You would have to try out the space to see if it meets your needs and pleases your eyes.

Ps - I forgot to add that I purchased and now drive the Ford Focus Electric, and love it.....

100 miles is good for 90% of people, but this car is only for local trips. Having said that, electric power is MUCH cheaper than gas power, and there are no oil changes, fuel filters, O2 sensor malfuntions, etc. However, I need to drive 500 miles North every few years, and can't afford a local-only car. For people like my brother, who lives 40 miles from work, it might be worth it.

You could rent a focus for those "every few years trip", Budget will rent you one for $20 bucks a day. pay 1 dollar extra a month on you car payment shoud pay for it.

I vote no. Bring over the euro diesel instead of this stupid electric crap. American auto makers are getting too sucked into this EPA crap and the consumer is paying the price.

Yes, that's my beautiful car. 2500 miles and 6 weeks old this week. Nice meeting you at the dealership Steve, hope they sell lots of them... Wood

I drive 18 mile per day, this would be perfect for me. I also love that it is a move towards a flexible, renewable fuel source and being done by the most successful OEM out of Detroit.

The Focus Electric is the real deal. I've had mine for three weeks now and couldn't be happier.

Plenty of power and torque. Very composed in the twistys. I just took a 25 mile mountain road drive (2000 foot climb in 8 miles). Pushed it hard and it never broke a sweat. Coming down I get it all back with regenerative braking.

I've driven over ten different electric cars, including the Tesla Roadster, and this is a serious contender.

The behavior mimics that of an automatic. It creeps when you let off the brake and there's almost no regen until you touch the brake pedal. I prefer "manual" like behavior. No creep and lots of regen when you lift off the accelerator pedal. That's about the only thing I'd change. They limit the torque off the line just before the point of wheel spin. If you drive with the windows open you can hear the tires are just on the verge of breaking loose.

Test drive one and I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.
Your "fuel" costs will be equal to that of a 100 MPG car.
There are over 7000 public charging stations in the US so you're not stuck charging only at home. The car charges from flat to full in about 3 1/2 hours.

Plus...
No oil changes.
No smog checks.
No timing belts.
No mufflers.
No noise.
Just clean, quiet, smooth, power.

Yes, the range is only about 75 miles so you have to decide if you can live with that, but for those in a multi-car household where the other car is gas, it could be a no brainer.

I'm just glad we finally have a choice. I chose electron power and am never going back.

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/53394620/JIMB_FFE.jpg

Jmbarbera - I love the post and completely agree..... I have a White Platinum FFE. So many start out thinking you have to baby this girl. Not the case. Have fun, drive hard and stay cool. Gone electric and staying there!!!!

A word of advice is you're considering buying one:
Don't let the dealer drill the center lower hole when they install the front plate bracket. They drill the grill and bumper and if you ever remove it, you'll have three holes that shouldn't be there in the first place.

I made a white decal to cover the bumper hole. The grill holes aren't too noticeable.

If you are in a front plate state, use VHB tape where the bracket touches the bumper.
The front plate destroys the clean look of the front end. That's why you never see glam shots of the car with a front plate. The Ford recommended location seems a bit high to me. I'm going to try lowering it so it's centered on the bumper. I'm still waiting for my plates though.

There are a LOT of reasons why gas-electric hybrids are stupid. First, they are a lot more complicated. The dual propulsion system costs about $8k per vehicle extra. Consumer reports estimated gas would have to equal $8.50 a gallon to break even. Second, you have much less cargo space, because you have to haul all those batteries. Third, the performance of the batteries degrades over time, so the range gets shorter and shorter.

The new Focus gets 37mpg - 40 if you get one with the air shutters. That is a phenomenal engineering feat for such a big car. (better gas mileage than the toy-like Fiat, with 160HP vs. the Fiat's 110HP).

I used to think plug-in hybrids were stupid too. They are if you think about them as merely high mileage gas cars. Better to just buy a pure gas car.

I know three Volt owners and none of them buy any gas at all. Their fuel costs are equal to that of a 100 MPG car and they're running on pure electricity but still have the range for trips to Wally World. I bought a Focus Electric because we still have the wife's van for long trips. But for a single car household that wants to electrify all local routine miles, the Volt is a very nice and fun to drive package. I'm looking forward to the C-Max Energi plug in. If they're going to go to the trouble of putting a battery in a gas car, put a plug on it and allow it to be powered from the grid.

Driving electric comes at a high up front cost, but that's where we are right now in the overall development of electric transportation. Early adopters will pay the premium price so that down the road electric cars will make economic sense for more people. They won't be for everyone, but it's great we finally have a choice.

When I drove my gas car, I felt like Fred Flintstone. Now I feel like George Jetson. Electricity is the fuel of the future.

BTW: If you're going to buy a gas Focus, opt for the manual transmission.

I love the idea of electric cars, but I am concerned that when they become very popular, electricity prices will go sky high. We don't want to become to dependent on one type of energy.

I love the idea of electric cars, but I am concerned that when they become very popular, electricity prices will go sky high. We don't want to become to dependent on one type of energy.

Electric Energy does exists naturally, it usually is converted from another source, usually natural gas or fossil fuel. Electric Car gives you the most independence because you use multiple fuels to power it. You can plug it into a gas generator if you want use gas, you connect to a solar array or you get it straight from Edison if you like. A Gasoline Car is solely dependent on GAS, that is why the cartels can charge what the market will bear.

The range is good enough for my daily commute and for the foreseeable future electricity is included in our rent. However seeing that battery pack take up what looks to be most of the cargo area is a major buzz kill.

Not really a big deal. You lose about 3 cubic feet. Bike fits fine. Maybe two.

https://picasaweb.google.com/102324539916158885601/Aug12012#5771621771922337778

Carried an 8' x 10' area rug.

how long will the battery last and whats the replacement cost on them?

How long will the battery last and what does it cost?

Go to the following link and you will be able to see the replacement cost of all Electric parts and the warranty. The warranty states 8 years and/or 100,000 miles.

http://owner.ford.com

There are lots of usable links to directly deal with your auto. You become a member by using your SYNC login and your car is identified by the VIN number. If I wanted a new battery. (Not really, but what if I did?) the BEV is listed part # 10B759 and the cost is $10,508.38

Electric Energy does exists naturally, it usually is converted from another source, usually natural gas or fossil fuel. Electric Car gives you the most independence because you use multiple fuels to power it. You can plug it into a gas generator if you want use gas, you connect to a solar array or you get it straight from Edison if you like. A Gasoline Car is solely dependent on GAS, that is why the cartels can charge what the market will bear.

This is a very good point worth saying. With Electric you DO get options on energy sources. As the technology progresses we will have solar, wind and other potential ways of generating energy to charge our cars. With solar in particular, the costs of generating energy will be much less. If we get solar panels for the home, we save long term on electric costs and can charge our cars with it, reducing dependence on big oil, or big energy and promoting independence, and isn't that what we want? It will be a win, win scenario.

I'm half way there to an electric car. I just bought a C-max Hybrid. Time will tell on how it goes but it sure is a nice car. If it does even half as well as I hope, I'll be looking for the electric Focus in a few years time....Till then, I have my SEL and the hybrid to compare performance and maintenance issues with.

I hope you got the plug-in Energi version of the C-MAX. Whether you can do a pure EV or a PHEV, it's about electrifying the routine, daily household miles, even if your electricity is coal powered. Your car is the largest household energy consumer and it's horribly inefficient if gasoline powered. Battery development is not to the point where a pure EV can replace a gas car, but it really doesn't matter. My Focus Electric is a second car. We have a Honda Odyssey for trips to Wally World. We didn't need two cars with 300 mile range so the Focus Electric works well for us.

I drove the C-MAX Energi and it was great, but it just wasn't big enough to replace our cavernous van which can carry 4 people, all their gear, and 4 bikes inside. I hope larger PHEV's become available that can do both soccer mom duty (all electric) and road trip duty (on gas). A PHEV Flex would be perfect.

With the introduction of the Fusion Energi PHEV, Ford will be the only car manufacturer offering three plug-in models. Hats off to them for offering so many choices.

Again, all electric cars don't work for everyone, but it's great to finally have a choice of fuels, breaking the choke hold oil has had on us.

I love my Focus Electric (over 9k miles) and recommend it highly. Price reductions and attractive lease offers make it a very reasonable buy. It's too bad that Ford does not advertise it at all. They might sell more if people even knew they existed.

Focus EV horror story:
In my first month with the car it has been in for servicing twice and its going back today for its third visit.

On March 5 (the 29th day that I owned the car) I got a message 7 times that said "Pull Over Safely" Once I stopped the car would shut down for anywhere from 1 to 15 minutes. At times it would happen as I am stopping at a stop sign or stop light so I wasn't able to pull to the side of the road.

This has happened about 12 times total in the first month with the car. Ford can't fix it.

Don't buy this car until they have the problem fixed.

Focus EV horror story:
In my first month with the car it has been in for servicing twice and its going back today for its third visit.

On March 5 (the 29th day that I owned the car) I got a message 7 times that said "Pull Over Safely" Once I stopped the car would shut down for anywhere from 1 to 15 minutes. At times it would happen as I am stopping at a stop sign or stop light so I wasn't able to pull to the side of the road.

This has happened about 12 times total in the first month with the car. Ford can't fix it.

Don't buy this car until they have the problem fixed.


Sorry to hear your having such problems with your car, I hope they get it resolved soon. I am thinking of trading to an Electric Focus in about two or three years.