Here Comes The Ford Focus EV

For the environmentally conscious customers, plug-in electric cars are the next big frontier. Hybrids seem like the big thing right now but it’s only a trend. Hybrids can’t be charged from a wall current.  But an Electric Vehicle like the Ford EV can be charged from home and then driven all day using ZERO gasoline.  During the Detroit Auto Show in January, Ford announced they would be offering a fully electric plug-in Focus in 2011.

The Focus EV is still in the development stage although they have launched a prototype “mule”. The prototype version is a product of Ford supplier Magna. Magna will also be responsible for the production version that will be in dealerships. Development vehicles are known to have certain faults, but the EV has no thuds or bumps and is solidly constructed.  Refinement and noise-vibration-harshness (NVH) have been particularly focused in the Focus EV to ensure no ambient sounds. The braking system switches between regenerative (for battery) and regular braking.

The EV Focus will have an auxiliary engine. The battery system will charge completely in 6 hours with a 220Volt setup or 12 hours with a 110Volt supply. A fully charged battery allows a driving range of about 100 miles.  The gauge system in the EV exchanges the battery meter in place of a tachometer and a small charge meter, although changes in the gauge system might change as production goes through. Although the Ford Focus EV is still a few years away, the prototype version looks pretty developed and almost as if it could hit the streets today.

Adding an electric version of the Focus to the New Ford Vehicle line-up will only add to Ford’s sales and give Ford their first compact electric vehicle in the states.

This entry was posted on Monday, March 29th, 2010 at 5:26 pm and is filed under Cars, Electric Vehicles, Ford, review. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.