Ford Focus Electric
Encyclopedia
The Ford Focus Electric is a 5-door hatchback
electric car
being produced by Ford Motor Company
. The Focus electric will be Ford's first full production, all-electric passenger vehicle. The initial U.S. market roll-out is scheduled to be limited to 19 regional markets, beginning with California and New York in late 2011 in limited numbers, and continuing with the other initial U.S. markets in the second quarter of 2012. The European launch is scheduled for late 2012. The Focus Electric shares the glider
of a third generation Ford Focus, and its electric powertrain uses a 23 kWh, liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery pack that provides an all-electric range
of 100 mi (160.9 km) and a top speed of 84 mph (135.2 km/h).
The concept car
, presented as the Ford Focus BEV, was introduced at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show. The pre-production version, renamed Ford Focus Electric, was unveiled at the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show
. The Focus Electric was awarded the 2011 Green Car Vision Award
at the 2011 Washington Auto Show
.
electric car
introduced by Ford Motor Company
at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show. The Focus BEV concept used the European Mark II
as its donor vehicle and incorporated key components from Ford’s North American hybrid
technology, including the electric climate control system from the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid
.
The Focus electric pre-production car was unveiled at the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show
under the new name of Ford Focus Electric, and this pre-production version was based on the Focus Mark III.
unveiled at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show was developed to participate in the U.K. Government's "Ultra-Low Carbon Vehicles" demonstration initiative in early 2010. A consortium of Ford, Scottish and Southern Energy and University of Strathclyde
will use a fleet of 15 Ford Focus BEVs and a charging infrastructure in and around the London Borough of Hillingdon
from early 2010. This new BEV demonstration fleet is being developed partly with public funding from the UK Government’s Technology Strategy Board
(TSB) which promotes innovative industry-led projects that reduce CO2.
of the third generation Ford Focus. The electric car is powered by an electric motor
rated at 100 kilowatts (130 hp) and uses a 23 kWh capacity lithium-ion battery pack, which together deliver 92 kW and 181 lbft of torque. The Focus Electric has a range of 100 mi (160.9 km) on a charge, and a top speed of 84 mph (135.2 km/h).
Ford used a complete electric drive train developed and supplied by Magna Steyr
, and the advanced lithium-ion battery system are being engineered by Ford in cooperation with supplier LG Chem
. A full recharge using the car's 6.6 kW charger takes about 4 hours using a SAE J1772-2009
charging station powered from a standard 240 volt socket. A 120-volt convenience cord is also included allowing recharging from North American standard 120-volt outlets which will take up to 20 hours.
The advanced battery system uses an active liquid cooling and heating thermal management system to precondition and regulate the temperature in the battery system. This feature helps to maximize battery life and driving range. The active liquid system heats or chills a coolant before pumping it through the battery cooling system. This loop regulates temperature throughout the system against external conditions. On a hot day the cooled liquid absorbs heat from the battery pack, dispersing it through a radiator before pumping it through the chiller again. On a cold day the heated liquid warms the batteries, gradually bringing the system’s temperature to a level that allows it to efficiently accept charge energy and provide enough discharge power for expected vehicle performance.
Ford conducted research to define the optimal location of the charge port for the Focus Electric and the Ford C-Max Energi plug-in hybrid. The carmaker decided to locate the port in the left front fender as such location is more convenient for home charging, which Ford found is what most customers would do. Also the side location avoids areas with high risk of damage in the event of small crashes. Ford says this fact was a driving factor in the choice of the side location rather than the rear or the front.
driver connect system adapted for electric vehicles, a new value charging feature powered by Microsoft
and a smartphone
application called MyFord Mobile that owners can use to control and charge their vehicles remotely.
The specialized version of the MyFord Touch technology for the Focus Electric offers an innovative presentation of vehicle information, such as battery state of charge
, distance to charge points, range budget and expected range margin. The system’s MyView feature allows drivers to access even more vehicle data including the electrical demands of vehicle accessories such as air conditioning, which can impact driving range. This feature would be used to plan multiple-stop journeys within the car’s range and to locate charging station
s. The improved MyFord Touch system will also allow drivers to customize the display on a case-by-case basis according to the owners daily, weekly or monthly driving needs.
Inspired in the Ford Fusion Hybrid
growing green leaves of first-generation SmartGauge with EcoGuide, the Focus Electric cluster display uses blue butterflies to represent the surplus range beyond the drivers’s charge point destination, as more butterflies are shown the greater the range is, and the blue butterflies gradually disappear as the car’s battery is depleted. Ford says the designers were inspired by the butterfly effect
, a phenomenon in which a small change, such as choosing to drive an electric vehicle, can have an enormous impact. At the end of each trip a display screen provides distance driven, miles gained through regenerative braking, energy consumed and a comparative gasoline savings achieved by driving electric.
The display cluster is integrated with the MyFord Touch map-based Navigation System using the car’s center stack 8-inch touch screen. After the driver adds destinations, including their next charge point, into the Navigation System, the system provides coaching advice about driver behaviors such as optimizing regenerative braking and accelerating without drawing too much energy; or on how to achieve the desired range, or if travel plans need to be adjusted. The on-board Navigation System provides an EcoRoute option based on characteristics of efficient EV driving.
The 2012 Focus Electric will include warning sounds to alert pedestrians of its presence when the electric car is running at low speeds. Ford developed four alternative sounds, and in June 2011 involved the car fans by asking them to pick their favorite from the four potential warning sounds through the Focus Electric Facebook
page.
on the same line
as the gasoline-powered version of the Focus, the C-Max Energi plug-in hybrid and the C-Max Hybrid. Ford stated that initial production will be limited but will be ramped up in 2012. Ford has not made a decision on where the Focus Electric will be built for European markets.
will be limited, the Focus Electric will be available initially only in 19 metropolitan areas including Atlanta, Houston and Austin, Texas
, Boston
, Chicago
, Denver, Detroit, Los Angeles
, San Francisco, San Diego, New York City
, Orlando, Florida
, Phoenix
and Tucson, Arizona
, Portland, Oregon
, Raleigh-Durham, Richmond, Virginia
, Seattle, and Washington, D.C.
The first deliveries are scheduled to take place only in California and New York by late 2011 in limited numbers, followed by the other initial markets by the second quarter of 2012.
Ford began taking online orders on November 2, 2011, and pricing starts at including a destination charge and before the federal tax credit and any other state and local incentives available for eligible buyers of plug-in electric vehicle
s. The Focus Electric price is much higher than the price of the conventional 2012 gas-powered Focus that as of November 2011 is priced between and . As compared to other plug-in electric vehicles available in the U.S., the Focus Electric has the same price as the 2012 Chevrolet Volt
plug-in hybrid, and it costs more than the base-model 2012 Nissan Leaf
SV. Available options include leather-trimmed seats and two special paint options, blue candy and white platinum.
Through an association with SunPower
, an optional solar-panel system will be offered by some Ford dealers to be installed on the homes of Focus Electric owners to generate enough renewable energy during the day to offset the electricity used to charge the vehicle at night. Ford also made an agreement with Best Buy
to offer a 240-volt home charging station. The SunPower's home solar charging option costs before the available local and federal tax credits.
that will offer a battery-leasing
option on its electric vehicles sold in Europe, the Focus Electric will be sold with the battery pack included in the price of the electric car.
, the Focus BEV was featured on the Jay Leno Show
in a segment called "Green Car Challenge" in which celebrity guests drove the electric car.
at the 2011 Washington Auto Show
. The 2012 Focus Electric was selected among the five finalists for the 2012 Green Car of the Year
to be awarded by the Green Car Journal
in November 2011 at the Los Angeles Auto Show.
Hatchback
A Hatchback is a car body style incorporating a shared passenger and cargo volume, with rearmost accessibility via a rear third or fifth door, typically a top-hinged liftgate—and features such as fold-down rear seats to enable flexibility within the shared passenger/cargo volume. As a two-box...
electric car
Electric car
An electric car is an automobile which is propelled by electric motor, using electrical energy stored in batteries or another energy storage device. Electric cars were popular in the late-19th century and early 20th century, until advances in internal combustion engine technology and mass...
being produced by Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
. The Focus electric will be Ford's first full production, all-electric passenger vehicle. The initial U.S. market roll-out is scheduled to be limited to 19 regional markets, beginning with California and New York in late 2011 in limited numbers, and continuing with the other initial U.S. markets in the second quarter of 2012. The European launch is scheduled for late 2012. The Focus Electric shares the glider
Vehicle glider
In automobiles, a glider is a vehicle without a powertrain . It is generally a brand new car, but a second-hand car can also be used...
of a third generation Ford Focus, and its electric powertrain uses a 23 kWh, liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery pack that provides an all-electric range
All-electric range
All-electric range is the driving range of a vehicle using only power from its electric battery pack to traverse a given driving cycle. In the case of a battery electric vehicle, it means the total range per charge. For a plug-in hybrid , it means the range of the vehicle in charge-depleting mode...
of 100 mi (160.9 km) and a top speed of 84 mph (135.2 km/h).
The concept car
Concept car
A concept vehicle or show vehicle is a car made to showcase new styling and or new technology. They are often shown at motor shows to gauge customer reaction to new and radical designs which may or may not have a chance of being produced....
, presented as the Ford Focus BEV, was introduced at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show. The pre-production version, renamed Ford Focus Electric, was unveiled at the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show
Consumer Electronics Show
The International Consumer Electronics Show is a major technology-related trade show held each January in the Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. Not open to the public, the Consumer Electronics Association-sponsored show typically hosts previews of products and new...
. The Focus Electric was awarded the 2011 Green Car Vision Award
Green Car Vision Award
The Green Car Vision Award is an annual award granted by the Green Car Journal. In contrast with its Green Car of the Year award, which only considers production vehicles that make the most significant environmental advancements, the Green Car Vision Award considers pre-production vehicles with...
at the 2011 Washington Auto Show
Washington Auto Show
The Washington Auto Show is an annual local auto show held in Washington, D.C. at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center between late January and early February. The event has evolved to emphasize and showcase the latest innovations in sustainable automotive technologies...
.
History
The Ford Focus BEV was the conceptConcept car
A concept vehicle or show vehicle is a car made to showcase new styling and or new technology. They are often shown at motor shows to gauge customer reaction to new and radical designs which may or may not have a chance of being produced....
electric car
Electric car
An electric car is an automobile which is propelled by electric motor, using electrical energy stored in batteries or another energy storage device. Electric cars were popular in the late-19th century and early 20th century, until advances in internal combustion engine technology and mass...
introduced by Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show. The Focus BEV concept used the European Mark II
Ford Focus (second generation, Europe)
The Mk 2 Ford Focus was launched at the Paris Motor Show on September 23, 2004 as a three and five-door hatchback and an estate, although the new car was previewed, in 4-door saloon form, as the 'Focus Concept' developed by Ford Europe at the Beijing Motor Show in mid-2004.-Design and...
as its donor vehicle and incorporated key components from Ford’s North American hybrid
Hybrid electric vehicle
A hybrid electric vehicle is a type of hybrid vehicle and electric vehicle which combines a conventional internal combustion engine propulsion system with an electric propulsion system. The presence of the electric powertrain is intended to achieve either better fuel economy than a conventional...
technology, including the electric climate control system from the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid
Ford Fusion Hybrid
The Ford Fusion Hybrid is a gasoline-electric hybrid powered version of the mid-size Ford Fusion sedan developed by the Ford Motor Company, and launched to the U.S. market in March 2009 as a 2010 model, together with its twin the Mercury Milan Hybrid. The Fusion Hybrid is manufactured at Ford's...
.
The Focus electric pre-production car was unveiled at the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show
Consumer Electronics Show
The International Consumer Electronics Show is a major technology-related trade show held each January in the Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. Not open to the public, the Consumer Electronics Association-sponsored show typically hosts previews of products and new...
under the new name of Ford Focus Electric, and this pre-production version was based on the Focus Mark III.
U.K. demonstration program
The concept carConcept car
A concept vehicle or show vehicle is a car made to showcase new styling and or new technology. They are often shown at motor shows to gauge customer reaction to new and radical designs which may or may not have a chance of being produced....
unveiled at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show was developed to participate in the U.K. Government's "Ultra-Low Carbon Vehicles" demonstration initiative in early 2010. A consortium of Ford, Scottish and Southern Energy and University of Strathclyde
University of Strathclyde
The University of Strathclyde , Glasgow, Scotland, is Glasgow's second university by age, founded in 1796, and receiving its Royal Charter in 1964 as the UK's first technological university...
will use a fleet of 15 Ford Focus BEVs and a charging infrastructure in and around the London Borough of Hillingdon
London Borough of Hillingdon
The London Borough of Hillingdon is the westernmost borough in Greater London, England. The borough's population was recorded as 243,006 in the 2001 Census. The borough incorporates the former districts of Ruislip-Northwood, Uxbridge, Hayes and Harlington and Yiewsley and West Drayton in the...
from early 2010. This new BEV demonstration fleet is being developed partly with public funding from the UK Government’s Technology Strategy Board
Technology Strategy Board
The Technology Strategy Board is a UK public body operating at arm's length from the Government reporting to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills .- History :...
(TSB) which promotes innovative industry-led projects that reduce CO2.
Powertrain and battery
The Focus Electric shares Ford’s global C-car platform and is based on the gliderVehicle glider
In automobiles, a glider is a vehicle without a powertrain . It is generally a brand new car, but a second-hand car can also be used...
of the third generation Ford Focus. The electric car is powered by an electric motor
Electric motor
An electric motor converts electrical energy into mechanical energy.Most electric motors operate through the interaction of magnetic fields and current-carrying conductors to generate force...
rated at 100 kilowatts (130 hp) and uses a 23 kWh capacity lithium-ion battery pack, which together deliver 92 kW and 181 lbft of torque. The Focus Electric has a range of 100 mi (160.9 km) on a charge, and a top speed of 84 mph (135.2 km/h).
Ford used a complete electric drive train developed and supplied by Magna Steyr
Magna Steyr
Magna Steyr Fahrzeugtechnik AG & Co KG is an automobile manufacturer based in Oberwaltersdorf, Austria, with its primary manufacturing location in Graz...
, and the advanced lithium-ion battery system are being engineered by Ford in cooperation with supplier LG Chem
LG Chem
LG Chem Ltd. , often referred to as LG Chemical and also known as Lucky GoldStar Chemical, is the largest Korean chemical company and is headquartered in Seoul, South Korea...
. A full recharge using the car's 6.6 kW charger takes about 4 hours using a SAE J1772-2009
SAE J1772
SAE J1772 is a North American standard for electrical connectors for electric vehicles maintained by the Society of Automotive Engineers and has the formal title "SAE Surface Vehicle Recommended Practice J1772, SAE Electric VehicleConductive Charge Coupler”...
charging station powered from a standard 240 volt socket. A 120-volt convenience cord is also included allowing recharging from North American standard 120-volt outlets which will take up to 20 hours.
The advanced battery system uses an active liquid cooling and heating thermal management system to precondition and regulate the temperature in the battery system. This feature helps to maximize battery life and driving range. The active liquid system heats or chills a coolant before pumping it through the battery cooling system. This loop regulates temperature throughout the system against external conditions. On a hot day the cooled liquid absorbs heat from the battery pack, dispersing it through a radiator before pumping it through the chiller again. On a cold day the heated liquid warms the batteries, gradually bringing the system’s temperature to a level that allows it to efficiently accept charge energy and provide enough discharge power for expected vehicle performance.
Ford conducted research to define the optimal location of the charge port for the Focus Electric and the Ford C-Max Energi plug-in hybrid. The carmaker decided to locate the port in the left front fender as such location is more convenient for home charging, which Ford found is what most customers would do. Also the side location avoids areas with high risk of damage in the event of small crashes. Ford says this fact was a driving factor in the choice of the side location rather than the rear or the front.
Connectivity and other features
The Ford Focus Electric will introduce new features and a high level of technological connectivity including a unique version of the MyFord TouchMyFord Touch
MyFord Touch is an in-car communications and entertainment system developed by the Ford Motor Company and Microsoft. The technology comes factory installed with Ford's product offerings and is based on the Microsoft Auto 4.0 software platform. It is regarded as the next-generation of Ford Sync...
driver connect system adapted for electric vehicles, a new value charging feature powered by Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
and a smartphone
Smartphone
A smartphone is a high-end mobile phone built on a mobile computing platform, with more advanced computing ability and connectivity than a contemporary feature phone. The first smartphones were devices that mainly combined the functions of a personal digital assistant and a mobile phone or camera...
application called MyFord Mobile that owners can use to control and charge their vehicles remotely.
The specialized version of the MyFord Touch technology for the Focus Electric offers an innovative presentation of vehicle information, such as battery state of charge
State of charge
State of charge is the equivalent of a fuel gauge for the battery pack in a battery electric vehicle , hybrid vehicle , or plug-in hybrid electric vehicle...
, distance to charge points, range budget and expected range margin. The system’s MyView feature allows drivers to access even more vehicle data including the electrical demands of vehicle accessories such as air conditioning, which can impact driving range. This feature would be used to plan multiple-stop journeys within the car’s range and to locate charging station
Charging station
An electric vehicle charging station, also called EV charging station, electric recharging point, charging point and EVSE , is an element in an infrastructure that supplies electric energy for the recharging of electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric-gasoline vehicles) or semi-static and mobile...
s. The improved MyFord Touch system will also allow drivers to customize the display on a case-by-case basis according to the owners daily, weekly or monthly driving needs.
Inspired in the Ford Fusion Hybrid
Ford Fusion Hybrid
The Ford Fusion Hybrid is a gasoline-electric hybrid powered version of the mid-size Ford Fusion sedan developed by the Ford Motor Company, and launched to the U.S. market in March 2009 as a 2010 model, together with its twin the Mercury Milan Hybrid. The Fusion Hybrid is manufactured at Ford's...
growing green leaves of first-generation SmartGauge with EcoGuide, the Focus Electric cluster display uses blue butterflies to represent the surplus range beyond the drivers’s charge point destination, as more butterflies are shown the greater the range is, and the blue butterflies gradually disappear as the car’s battery is depleted. Ford says the designers were inspired by the butterfly effect
Butterfly effect
In chaos theory, the butterfly effect is the sensitive dependence on initial conditions; where a small change at one place in a nonlinear system can result in large differences to a later state...
, a phenomenon in which a small change, such as choosing to drive an electric vehicle, can have an enormous impact. At the end of each trip a display screen provides distance driven, miles gained through regenerative braking, energy consumed and a comparative gasoline savings achieved by driving electric.
The display cluster is integrated with the MyFord Touch map-based Navigation System using the car’s center stack 8-inch touch screen. After the driver adds destinations, including their next charge point, into the Navigation System, the system provides coaching advice about driver behaviors such as optimizing regenerative braking and accelerating without drawing too much energy; or on how to achieve the desired range, or if travel plans need to be adjusted. The on-board Navigation System provides an EcoRoute option based on characteristics of efficient EV driving.
The 2012 Focus Electric will include warning sounds to alert pedestrians of its presence when the electric car is running at low speeds. Ford developed four alternative sounds, and in June 2011 involved the car fans by asking them to pick their favorite from the four potential warning sounds through the Focus Electric Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
page.
Production
The Focus Electric will be built at the Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, MichiganWayne, Michigan
Wayne is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan, southwest of Detroit. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 17,593...
on the same line
Assembly line
An assembly line is a manufacturing process in which parts are added to a product in a sequential manner using optimally planned logistics to create a finished product much faster than with handcrafting-type methods...
as the gasoline-powered version of the Focus, the C-Max Energi plug-in hybrid and the C-Max Hybrid. Ford stated that initial production will be limited but will be ramped up in 2012. Ford has not made a decision on where the Focus Electric will be built for European markets.
United States
Sales of the 2012 Ford Focus Electric will begin by the end of 2011 and because initial production of the 2012 model yearModel year
The model year of a product is a number used worldwide, but with a high level of prominence in North America, to describe approximately when a product was produced, and indicates the coinciding base specification of that product....
will be limited, the Focus Electric will be available initially only in 19 metropolitan areas including Atlanta, Houston and Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
, Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Denver, Detroit, Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, San Francisco, San Diego, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, Orlando, Florida
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
, Phoenix
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
and Tucson, Arizona
Tucson, Arizona
Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...
, Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, Raleigh-Durham, Richmond, Virginia
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
, Seattle, and Washington, D.C.
Washington Metropolitan Area
The Washington Metropolitan Area is the metropolitan area centered on Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. The area includes all of the federal district and parts of the U.S...
The first deliveries are scheduled to take place only in California and New York by late 2011 in limited numbers, followed by the other initial markets by the second quarter of 2012.
Ford began taking online orders on November 2, 2011, and pricing starts at including a destination charge and before the federal tax credit and any other state and local incentives available for eligible buyers of plug-in electric vehicle
Plug-in electric vehicle
A plug-in electric vehicle is any motor vehicle that can be recharged from any external source of electricity, such as wall sockets, and the electricity stored in the rechargeable battery packs drives or contributes to drive the wheels...
s. The Focus Electric price is much higher than the price of the conventional 2012 gas-powered Focus that as of November 2011 is priced between and . As compared to other plug-in electric vehicles available in the U.S., the Focus Electric has the same price as the 2012 Chevrolet Volt
Chevrolet Volt
The Chevrolet Volt is a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle manufactured by General Motors. The Volt has been on sale in the U.S. market since mid-December 2010, and is the most fuel-efficient compact car sold in the United States, as rated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency...
plug-in hybrid, and it costs more than the base-model 2012 Nissan Leaf
Nissan Leaf
Nissan introduced its first battery electric vehicle, the Nissan Altra at the Los Angeles International Auto Show on 29 December 1997. The Altra EV was produced between 1998 and 2002, only about 200 vehicles were ever produced, and it was mainly used as a fleet vehicle for companies such as...
SV. Available options include leather-trimmed seats and two special paint options, blue candy and white platinum.
Through an association with SunPower
SunPower
SunPower Corporation designs and manufactures high-efficiency crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells, roof tiles and solar panels based on a silicon all-back-contact solar cell invented at Stanford University. SunPower Corporation is publicly traded on the NASDAQ as SPWRA and SPWRB...
, an optional solar-panel system will be offered by some Ford dealers to be installed on the homes of Focus Electric owners to generate enough renewable energy during the day to offset the electricity used to charge the vehicle at night. Ford also made an agreement with Best Buy
Best Buy
Best Buy Co., Inc. is an American specialty retailer of consumer electronics in the United States, accounting for 19% of the market. It also operates in Mexico, Canada & China. The company's subsidiaries include Geek Squad, CinemaNow, Magnolia Audio Video, Pacific Sales, and, in Canada operates...
to offer a 240-volt home charging station. The SunPower's home solar charging option costs before the available local and federal tax credits.
Europe
The European launch is scheduled for late 2012. Although pricing has not been announced, Ford stated that, unlike RenaultRenault
Renault S.A. is a French automaker producing cars, vans, and in the past, autorail vehicles, trucks, tractors, vans and also buses/coaches. Its alliance with Nissan makes it the world's third largest automaker...
that will offer a battery-leasing
Leasing
Leasing is a process by which a firm can obtain the use of a certain fixed assets for which it must pay a series of contractual, periodic, tax deductible payments....
option on its electric vehicles sold in Europe, the Focus Electric will be sold with the battery pack included in the price of the electric car.
Marketing
As a publicity stuntPublicity stunt
A publicity stunt is a planned event designed to attract the public's attention to the event's organizers or their cause. Publicity stunts can be professionally organized or set up by amateurs...
, the Focus BEV was featured on the Jay Leno Show
The Jay Leno Show
The Jay Leno Show is an American comedy show created by and starring Jay Leno, that aired from September 14, 2009 to February 9, 2010 on NBC following the May 29, 2009 conclusion of Leno's first tenure as host of The Tonight Show...
in a segment called "Green Car Challenge" in which celebrity guests drove the electric car.
Recognition
The Ford Focus Electric was awarded the 2011 Green Car Vision AwardGreen Car Vision Award
The Green Car Vision Award is an annual award granted by the Green Car Journal. In contrast with its Green Car of the Year award, which only considers production vehicles that make the most significant environmental advancements, the Green Car Vision Award considers pre-production vehicles with...
at the 2011 Washington Auto Show
Washington Auto Show
The Washington Auto Show is an annual local auto show held in Washington, D.C. at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center between late January and early February. The event has evolved to emphasize and showcase the latest innovations in sustainable automotive technologies...
. The 2012 Focus Electric was selected among the five finalists for the 2012 Green Car of the Year
Green Car of the Year
The Green Car of the Year is an award from the Green Car Journal.The winner is selected by an 11-member panel comprising automotive and environmental experts...
to be awarded by the Green Car Journal
Green Car Journal
Green Car Journal is a quarterly publication created in 1992 that focuses on green vehicles and environmentally friendly energy and technologies...
in November 2011 at the Los Angeles Auto Show.
See also
- Electric carElectric carAn electric car is an automobile which is propelled by electric motor, using electrical energy stored in batteries or another energy storage device. Electric cars were popular in the late-19th century and early 20th century, until advances in internal combustion engine technology and mass...
- Government incentives for plug-in electric vehiclesGovernment incentives for plug-in electric vehiclesGovernment incentives for plug-in electric vehicles have been established by several national and local governments around the world as a financial incentive for consumers to purchase a plug-in electric vehicle....
- List of modern production plug-in electric vehicles
- Plug-in electric vehiclePlug-in electric vehicleA plug-in electric vehicle is any motor vehicle that can be recharged from any external source of electricity, such as wall sockets, and the electricity stored in the rechargeable battery packs drives or contributes to drive the wheels...