Ford announced today the 2013 Ford Focus Electric earned the highest vehicle safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The Focus Electric, which is Ford’s first all-electric passenger vehicle, earned a five-star Overall Vehicle Score in NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) testing, which combines vehicle performance in frontal and side-impact crash
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When an automaker makes the decision to enter the electric car market it has two choices: Spend hundreds of millions designing, developing and tooling the plants to build an all-new car, like Nissan did with the Leaf or, reduce the risk and cost by replacing the drivetrain of an existing gas-powered vehicle with an electric
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While GM’s Chevrolet Volt was extensively promoted for several years prior to its December 2010 launch, Ford Motor Company appears to be taking a low-key approach with its Focus Electric. Since its introduction last year, Ford has sold less than 30 examples and although it says it plans to ramp up production at its Wayne,
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During a speech at Fortune magazine’s Brainstorm Green conference in California earlier this week, Ford CEO Alan Mulally spilled the beans on what it costs for a battery in the company’s Focus Electric, which is between $12,000 and $15,000. “When you move into an all-electric vehicle, the battery size moves up to around 23 kilowatt
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In-line with what Ford is doing in the U.S., Ford of Canada is working with Best Buy Canada to offer Canadian Ford Focus Electric owners a convenient and dependable solution for home charging station installation. Ford and Best Buy will offer a 240-volt home charging station for the company’s all-new Ford Focus Electric battery electric
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On Monday, Men’s Health magazine announced a journey most electric car aficionados would enjoy being part of. The magazine launched its 2012 Electric Car Challenge, a cross-country adventure designed to help maximize the potential of electric vehicles, create a healthier, more satisfying, and more exciting road trip experience, and raise money for an important cause.
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Ford is making the case for electric driving with an emphasis this week on its Focus Electric having just received approval for single occupancy driving in California’s High Occupancy Vehicle lanes. The $39,995 vehicle is being introduced in California, New York and New Jersey in the first half of this year, with availability in 19
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Ford’s updated Escape line due early next year will lack a hybrid option but yesterday the company said its pending 2012 Focus Electric and 2013 C-Max Hybrid and C-Max Energi plug-in hybrid will offer best-in-class efficiency. Citing “expected” mileage figures, the Focus Electric is said to achieve 100 MPGe. Of the C-Max Energi, Ford says
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Yesterday Ford Motor Co. began accepting online orders for its 2012 Focus Electric, which was first unveiled a year ago in Las Vegas. The company is coming in with a limited and partially delayed launch a year or more after Nissan, which has already has sold over 8,000 of its (now) $35,200 all-electric Leafs in
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Soccer moms seeking a hybrid to haul more than five passengers have, until now, been ignored by automakers. The Toyota Highlander Hybrid and other full-size SUVs offer third-row seating, but those vehicles are bigger, heavier and more expensive than many families require. How about a new format, something like a hatchback with a higher seating
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