Ford Focus EV
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Many electric car companies are still trying to compensate for “glorified golf car syndrome.” It’s a kind of inferiority complex that pushes them to produce ultra-hip, spectacularly innovative, or screaming fast electric vehicles—and to brand them as revolutionary—even though it drives the cost up and out of range for most consumers. What about folks who simply want an affordable, dressed-down, highway-capable family sedan that runs on electric drive technology that’s been proven to work for 100 years?
The answer could be the Ford Focus EV due out in late 2011—the first electric car designed for the generic aisle of the dealership. Ford’s plans for the Focus EV are not aimed at buzz and sizzle. Instead, the company is focused on addressing the biggest obstacle between EVs and the mainstream: cost.
(Sure, those other companies expect to ramp up production, realize economies of scale, and eventually reduce costs down to reason. But doesn’t that seem like a roundabout way to achieve the goal?)
Technology As Cool
Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm (left) and Nancy Gioia, director of sustainable mobility technologies at Ford, check out the Ford Focus EV at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show.
The Ford Focus EV will be based on the next-generation Ford Focus, a capable if not head-turning car. By choosing an existing platform, Ford will save the expense associated with developing a unique design. Ever since the second-generation Prius, with its iconic design, became a hit, automakers have adopted the idea that a hybrid car with an innovative high-tech drivetrain needs to scream out for attention. That’s the direction that Nissan is taking with its yet-to-be-unveiled small electric car, also due out in 2012. The Chevy Volt plug-in hybrid, the new Honda Insight, and the Lexus HS250h are also original purpose-built designs.
Ford is gambling that the cool factor lies in the technology and price, not in the car’s name or the shape of the sheet metal. Pricing is not yet announced, but trimming the cost obviously will give Ford the ability to aim for affordability and profitability. (Nissan is aiming for $25,000 to $30,000 for its EV; and the Chevy Volt will cost in the range of $40,000.)
Pre-packaged Technology
The second cost-cutting measure is Ford’s use of generic pre-made electric car technology. In other words, Ford is using a system already developed by Magna International, a major global auto supply and technology firm, which has been looking for a carmaker to use its new pre-packaged electric car architecture, including motor, transmission, motor controller, lithium ion battery system and charger. Ford is the first to sign on.
Magna will also share in the engineering responsibility to integrate the electric propulsion system into the Ford Focus EV. Furthermore, Ford’s deal with Magna is non-exclusive—so the same system could be used by Ford’s competition to make an electric cars. In fact, Ford is encouraging Magna to spread the high-tech love, because Magna’s success with EV technology will increase the chances that other car companies will help defray costs. Implied in this approach is the likely slow rollout of pure electric cars, which could take a decade to grow beyond a niche.
Ford used a similar strategy with its Sync in-car entertainment system, developed in partnership with Microsoft, which can sell the technology to other automakers.
The Ford Focus EV is targeted to have a range of 100 miles between charges, courtesy of a 23 kWh battery pack. The Focus EV will not be a plug-in series hybrid, sometimes referred to as “extended-range electric vehicle,” which carries a small engine on board to recharge the batteries on the fly. Instead, you’ll need to plan your travels to get back to a plug before you use up the 100 miles worth of energy. Fully recharging could take from 6 to 12 hours, depending if you are using a 110-volt or 220-volt hookup. Ford is planning to introduce its own plug-in hybrid in 2012.
The Ford Focus EV will use a single-speed transmission. The powertrain, including the motor and gearbox, are packaged under the hood where you would expect to see a gasoline engine.
The Back Story
Ford had been chatting with Magna about electric cars for a couple of years, when in 2008 Magna presented its electric car prototype to Ford engineers and executives. "We took a look at that execution and said, 'Hey, together we can really make this a proposition," said Nancy Gioia, Ford's Director of Sustainable Mobility Technologies.
Five months later, Ford announced its intention to produce the car at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show.
Early reviews of the Focus EV pre-production vehicles have been positive—with kudos for brisk acceleration, top-notch build-quality, and handling and braking much better than your average pre-production car. When Michigan’s Gov. Jennifer Granholm took a spin of the Focus EV at the Detroit Show, she was impressed. “At first, she was surprised that it wasn’t merely a concept car, but actually a road-ready demonstrator of battery electric vehicle technology,” said Gioia. “I think she was wowed by how it’s quiet, smooth and fun to drive.”
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n/a MPG n/a L/100km
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BODY TYPE:
Sedan
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TECHNOLOGY:
Electric
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BASE MSRP:
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Ford Focus EV Photos
One American car company is not being complacent regarding EVs from China. If the price comes in below $25K I can see a lot of commuters (like me) taking advantage of the fuel cost savings.
Nice idea, but it's strictly a commuter's car. My friend lives 65 miles away, so I can't make it round trip without re-charging. I'd have to recharge at his house and it would be on his utility bill. At least the 6-12 hour recharge time gives us the chance to drink a lot of good beer.
Is this sort of car really governed by miles or some combination of miles and time? What if you commute is 40 miles each way, 80 miles total, under the 100 mile limit. But you encounter terrible traffic and it takes you an extra hour to get home. Shut off the radio? Hope it doesn't get dark and you don't need the lights?
Don't get me wrong. It's great to see this sort of car coming to the dealers. Too many EV's have been top end race cars and nothing for the family guy. I hope that this is a good step towards another EV's with greater range and quicker recharges.
I doubt a car stereo system could drain a 23kwh battery if it was left on for a week . I guess this car would be aimed at someone like me, who lives about 6 miles from work and rarely goes out of town. I normally put less than a hundred miles on the car in week.
Wow, Ford keeps cranking out hits... First Escape hybrid, then fusion hybrid, now focus EV. Ford will have the most complete line up of alternative energy vehicles! Good job, keep the hits coming.
Someone starts it and the rest will follow . . .
It looks more practical than Toyota FT-EV or Mitsubishi iMev anyway.
If this car succeeds, I guess Magna will be very busy w/ orders and contracts ;-)
Family Guy,
The hope that the range will improve is realistic.
Sure this car won't be fore everyone (only 90% of Americans live within 40 miles of their work)
But then it will be great for a lot of people, especially if we see another jump in prices at the pump between now and then.
I think this car is ideal for a second car. My wife and I could have a Prius (or Ford Fusion Hybrid) as our "main/long distance" car, and this could be our around town commuter. We already have a car we only use around town, but unfortunately it runs on gas.
As long as the price isn't too high (it's not like the car is going to get a bunch of points for styling) I think there will be plenty of interest.
A month ago i could only see driving a Toyota or Honda for the rest of my life. They were the only two companies with a vision for the future. It seems now there is a third company. Fix or repair daily has moved to be a respected again. Keep it up Ford.
I've always thought that most 2 car families(In the US thats the norm) could certainly have one car be an EV, if the other is a hybrid or PHEV then you get to a really good place as far as fuel consumption.
I think the Focus is the right size as well, let your other car be the larger station wagon/SUV/minivan/midsized sedan or whatever you think you need to accomodate your family on a trip, the EV is for commuting.
Go Ford! I hope the offer this in the Focus hatchback version as well.
I would still carry a little Honda 2kw genny in the trunk.
Sign me up for one! That is about the time I will be looking for a new car anyway. Never thought I would consider a Ford. Times they are a changing...
They should just develop a removable set of 4-5 extended range batteries that they sell as an option. When going on long trips, you could just put them in your trunk. They would/could be pretty heavy, but if designed properly, they could be about 30lbs each or so, and modular. Just an idea to extend range when needed without adding unnecessary weight.
FamilyGuy,
You could always give your friend $2.00 and charge at his house. at 240 volts, 30 amps (standard dryer outlet power), you should be able to get the required extra 30 miles of range to get back home in 1 to 2 hours. That way you won't have to consume so much good beer that you can't drive back home safely.
Personally, I see this as the best news I've heard in some time. I just hope it comes true.
I saw a Ford Ranger Electric last week with NiMH batteries. It was produced in 1998 and is still running great with no maintenance except new tires. Ford definitely can make good vehicles if they put their minds to it.
I agree with all that the average family will probably want to keep an ICE, HEV, or PHEV as their 2nd car for longer road trips but this can significantly offset someones dependence on gasoline.
Cost is the million dollar question. Anything above 28k would not work unless they add a small ICE to extend the range. Lets say they can sell this for 28k along with a 4-6K Federal rebate and I believe you have a hit. But some will say why not just get a Yaris or Cobalt for 12-14K instead of spending 22-24K for a EV commuter car. Excitement needs to be added w/ successful marketing to overcome some of these concerns. Again cost is extremely important here as battery costs, charge time, and mileage will need to improve for a majority of American's. Glad to see Ford move forward with this. The question in the short-term will be if consumers choice EV's or extended range hybrid plugins like the Volt. The cost to develop Volt types will be more than EV's but may reduce some concerns initially.
As the owner of a Prius hybrid gas/electric and a ZENN all electric vehicle, this Ford EV makes nothing but sense to me. My Prius has a sophisticated battery management system and the ZENN did not come with one. This makes all the difference in owning an electric vehicle. You save a few dollars by eliminating it and pay a whole lot when the batteries go bad early without it.
Unfortunately, car makers must focus on the decision at the time of purchase since it is nothing if they can't sell the car. So the purchase is made without a battery management system and then the customer is unhappy.
People compare the original cost as if that was a fair comparison. If the lifetime cost of "fuel" is included, the electric car has a huge advantage, but we don't see that at up front when we are making the decision.
Now that Ford seems to be making sensible cars, let us hope that buyers will make sensible purchases. This will be great for us all!
I wonder if it is possible for the car to tow an itty-bitty gasoline generator behind it for long drives. My commute to work is only 6 miles (all around). My coven is a 60-mile round trip. So the only time this car would not suit my needs would be when I need to visit family out of state. I suppose I could get a rental for those 2-3 times per year, but towing a little generator would be better.
FamilyGuy:
I appreciate and share some of your concerns. I don't think that this is finally the "EV for everyone in every situation". However it is a significant step because if it lives up to the claims in this article, it will be the first EV on the market that is suitable for a very large number of people.
Here's the thing. With a range of 100 miles, there are a tremendous number of people who can use it right now. I remember for a while now we've been hearing that some large percentage of the population -- certainly large enough to constitute a "market" -- commutes under 40 miles to work each way. I happen to fall into that category, so I could theoretically buy one of these cars to get back and forth to work, and to run most of my errands around town.
Still there are some things I can't use it for. It's around 60 or 70 miles one way to the airport for example, and one of my main sources of entertainment is a theme park that's a little farther. Similarly, my coworker who lives in another town 40 miles away may not be able to use it because it's just cutting it too close. So while the car will be a step in the right direction, it still isn't for everyone.
However, getting them into the market begins to drive some other changes. My employer, or that theme park I was talking about, can now think about installing charging stations at some of their parking facilities. Maybe an enterprising private company starts rolling out a network of them around town. Think Better Place, but you don't have to use their car, and their battery, and that ridiculous "cell phone" model. Suddenly, driving my EV to the theme park (where I typically spend at least 6 or 8 hours at a time) is not out of the question. Similarly, the EV becomes a viable option for my coworker because now he can charge his vehicle while at work for the drive home. All this also expands the market for additional models from Ford as well as competitors. The implications of this vehicle could be pretty far-reaching, if they can get it to market at a price people will pay.
How about one of those little trailers that motorcyclists pull behind their bikes with a generator head that would supply enough power to run the car and a switch to change on the fly from the vehicles batteries to the generator head in the towable trailer. the generator head in the trailer would be run off a V-Belt from one of the trailers wheels to the generator head thus supplying power without using any gasoline at all and extending trips indefinately............
this is great!
hopefully they won't crush them all four years later!!!
Will you actually be able to buy it and KEEP IT??
Will it be available in NJ???
Hopefully it'll be based on the much-better new Focus that will actually be the same as the Euro Focus!!!!
hackers will juice this car up to a 200 - 300 mile range and it will be great,
its the same way the early pc was souped up. remember
I have bought only Honda for last 18 years after being burned by US cars. Looking to replace an 18 year old Honda Accord in next year or two. This car would be perfect for my family and make me consider american again!
This car is a start to try to convince people to move to all electric. I suspect, though, that it will not be very well received for families that have more than one driver; even if the drive to work is less than 30 miles. The problem with making it a family car is that if the wife wants to go to the store and then get her hair done and the teenager wants to use to go to the mall and then to a football game; by the time the husband leaves for his friend's house 60 miles away, he will not have a full charge. That senario does not have to play out too many times before the all electric "family car" is going to get a role change. If that battery pack drains before Dad can get back home, he will not be a happy camper. Which leads to another question, how will the different drivers in the family make the decision of who gets to go do their errands at the expense of the other.
hybridgreg, this is not rocket science. I don't know about you, but it would be pretty easy for me and my family to keep track of a typical weeks worth of errands. You might be surprised at 1. how much can be achieved in 100 miles, 2. how long a car sits between errands. 3. how much of your travel occurs in short trips. In a 24 hr day, how long does your car sit in the garage/driveway vs. being driven? If one gets in the habit of treating it like their cell phone (plug it in whenever it's sitting around) it should always be "topped off".
Going to see a friend 60 miles away??? Is this really a typical scenario?
Like I said, just a start. By the way, it may be difficult to get across to the layperson, but just because a full charge will take 6 or 12 hours (or whatever they said) doesn't mean that you drive your hundred miles and then are stranded somewhere for hours.
EG, after my hypothetical 80-mile round-trip commute, even if I can't charge at work, I almost always am at home for an hour or two before going out to do anything for the evening. While I'm not going to get a full charge in that amount of time, I will certainly be able to add another 30 or 35 miles to the remaining range.
It will be very interesting to see what Ford comes up with in the way of roadside assistance of the sort that you usually get with the first year of a new car. It's not like when you run out of gas, and they can drive up with a can of gasoline and give you enough to get to the gas station. I have no idea what they're planning or working on, but one option off the top of my head might be to have a small, replaceable auxiliary battery -- included with the car -- that could be easily swapped out for a fully charged unit and with enough juice to go 5 or 10 miles or so. Sort of like what Better Place is trying to do but since it would only be used in emergency situations, it would not have to be fully automated and all of that.
My little ZENN EV has a range of 35 miles on a charge. I carry an extension cord for the possibility that I might need a charge while I am away (most gas stations have a place to plug it). Even with many trips in a day, I have NEVER used this extension cord. It is simple. Part of my habit when parking in my garage is to plug it in. When I come out to drive the car for the next trip, the batteries have charged plenty.
This turns out to be a non issue.
Our travel patterns are pretty consistent. If it works, it works. If it won't work, its not for you or you need to reconsider your travel patterns. It is not rocket science.
Ideal for my wife who drives 10 miles to work.
She's only put 90K on her 1999 Maxima GLE.
Hope she prefers this car, rather than a new $35K Maxima.
Also, early sketches of the 2012 Focus show a vastly improved exterior appearance.
Th next generation Ford Focus is going to be a HOT looking car. The current european Generation Ford Focus is a Show stopper and that is what the next golbal platform generation Focus will be based on. New Focus will likely look something like the crisp Iosis Max Concept that we were shown at this year’s Geneva Motor Show. So there should be no problem as far as looks go.
Add the EV option to what looks like a complete line up of 2-Door Coupe, 2-Door Convertible, 3-Door Hatch, 4-Door Sedan, 5-Door Hatch and 5-Door Estate ( Wagon) and Foord will have a HIT on its hands.
Finally somebody thought about it. This is pretty neat, I would love to have an electric car. I am just wondering how is it going to be the performance of the car. Lets try
Steve, the point is well taken. It will definately work for many. In terms of the "60 miles to a friend to see a friend," I was noting Family Guys post. As Allen DeL said, he has never had a need to use his extension cord. So, maybe it is something that to consider, but not a game changer for a lot of people. I would like to think all-electric will be well received in the short term, but there is a compelling recent history of all-electric cars in the US to suggest that it might take a bit of convincing. Remembering that no single all-electric car offering has sold more that about 17,000 units in the US makes me think that we are a ways away from convincing the consumer. I want to be wrong on this, but time will tell.
My dad grew up before there were cars on the streets. My son may well see the day when gasoline cars are mostly a memory.
It is true that electric cars are not great in number. I will not see the day, but the real choice is not far away. The real choice will be between a 3 mph horse and buggy and electric cars. The Ford Escort is a prototype that makes sense.
But the transition will not be sudden and to enter into the world without petroleum unprepared could be catastrophic.
And yes, time will tell. It will tell a whole lot.
This would work great for our second car. We'll still take the family on weekend outings in the minivan but by only using for back and forth to work during the week it will last me about 1.5 weeks.
Good luck, Ford! But remember, talk is cheap. You don't get any points in my mind until you actually roll these things out at a decent price.
hybridgreg,
you said: "Remembering that no single all-electric car offering has sold more that about 17,000 units in the US makes me think that we are a ways away from convincing the consumer.
Your 17,000 number is way high but then again, no manufacturer has ever built more than about 1,200 all-electric cars and none ever allowed more than about 200 to even be put up for sale. Every single one of those cars found a recipient to lease it and there were thousands of people on the waiting lists.
EVs are the way to go if someone will actually make them and sell them. Time will tell but effort is needed to make it actually happen if we are going to have a future standard of living like that which we enjoy today.
Hang in there Ford!
fact check:
- Toyota allowed about 200 of their RAV4EVs to be sold for about 6 months in 2002 and around 100 each of Ford Ranger EVs and Chevy S10EVs were sold after they came off of fleet leases.
- The major auto manufacturers only released their 1990's EVs in a few dealers in very few states, predominantly California. GM initially denied any waiting lists but eventually admitted their existance.
I was reading the last 4 post and they were great, a lot of useful information. I agree that this car would be great for a second car option. I already have a small SUV and I love it!
Ex-EV1 Driver, that was a typo 1700 is the number I was elluding to and that was for any given year for EVs. Sorry for the mis-print
This is easily the way to go for that second car, or the kids car. Airport has an "airporter" here so driving to the airport is a non issue here. Long trips are the only problem(ie 5000miles). Try train, flying, bus, or rental car. My hybred Ford escape does 10 miles/gallon better than the regular escape! But, not paying for gas is better. Remember that electricity is much cheeper after 11:00 PM. So a charge-up isn't mutch. When people find themselves saving a $100 every week or 2 with this- they will be sold.
That is one cool looking electric car. Can't wait to see all the pure electric cars on the street. We have been replying on fossil fuel for far too long. It's time for a change.
I love my existing (old, 2000, european) focus, and an electric variant would be great given I only usually travel 5-20 miles to work/town.
Hoping there will be some "fast charge topup" option too to get a boost in say 30mins
Too much money to go 100 miles on a charge. If you are on the road, you will have to get a motel to wait for your battery to charge which will run the price up even more. Ford is throwing away money on this project. EVs should not be manufactured until someone comes up with a way to get long distance mileage out of them. Just another reason why this country is going down the tubes financially.
I already have an electric car, but it is only street legal and as I live in a small town, it is great. I drive it almost every day and my electric bill for the chaging is about $10 per month.
As soon as I can get a highway legal electric car, I will do so.
You will never se $1.00 per gallon for gas again, the big oil companies will see to that. In the two years that I have had mine, it has paid for itself, as I bought it what gas was at $4.00 per gallon .. Go FORD I want one !!
ex-EV1 Driver, I want to make a correction to your fact checking.
There is one company that has produced and sold over 200 of a given EV, Tesla Motors. Now I know you are all gonna smash on me for this because, "They are too expensive," "It's not for the common man," etc. But, they have done it and they have turned a profit on the roadster. Plus, with plans to release a Model S for around 50k and then a vehicle after that for the same price range being discussed for these cars, it's a pretty bang up job.
Right now they have over 500 Roadsters Delivered.
http://www.teslamotors.com/media/press_room.php?id=1380
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tesla_Roadster
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