Ford Focus Electric News

Ford Focus Electric Rollout Continues to Crawl

Brad Berman — Thu, 10 May 2012 18:31:41 +0000

67 Ford dealerships are now certified to sell the Focus Electric. However, the electric vehicles won't arrive until June.

In March, we questioned the slow rollout of the Ford Focus Electric. That’s why it was gratifying to see Ford announce last week that 67 dealers had been certified to begin selling the EV in the next few weeks. The certification includes things like installing charging stations and making sure that “80 percent of the sales and service staff at each location must meet specific electric vehicle training certification requirements,” according to Ford's press release.

How Does Ford Measure Sales Success of 2012 Focus Electric?

Brad Berman — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 12:41:46 +0000

Ford's CEO Alan Mulally revealed that the automaker's first-year sales target for the 2012 Focus Electric is roughly 5,000 units.

Ford Defends Slow Rollout of Focus Electric

Brad Berman — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 12:22:02 +0000

According to Ford, sales of the Focus Electric—though only 10 units in the first three months—are "on track."

Ford says that sales of its first electric car, the Ford Focus Electric, are "on track." Green Car Reports reported that there have only been 10 sales of the Focus Electric since going on sale in December, a number that Ford has not confirmed.

Ford Focus Electric Rated at 105 MPGe

Brad Berman — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 13:57:15 +0000

The 2012 Ford Focus Electric is now officially the most fuel-efficient five-passenger vehicle offered in the US.

Ford Focus Electric Won't be Available Outside Initial Launch Area Until September 2012

Eric Loveday — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 14:12:19 +0000

The Ford Focus Electric won't be available in additional cities until September 2012.

Watch the Ford Focus Electric Roll Down the Assembly Line

Eric Loveday — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 14:12:24 +0000

With a handful of 2012 Ford Focus Electric sales officially logged in December, 2011, Ford's $39,995 electric hatchback has finally entered the plug-in vehicle scene. Whether or not Ford's choice to convert an existing vehicle—the gasoline-powered 2012 Ford Focus—will make sense in the long run remains to be scene. Regardless, the Blue Oval automaker is playing up its use of existing US assembly lines to produce the the Focus Electric.

Simplified production is key to keeping costs in check on the Focus Electric, according to Ford. All of the electrified Focus compacts roll down the assembly lines at Ford's Wayne, Mich. factory and only a handful of production steps differ from those of the Focus Electric's conventional, gas-fueled counterpart.

The Focus Electric gets a modified floorpan stamping to accommodate the electric vehicle components and a lithium-ion battery pack is placed where gasoline tanks are installed on conventional Focuses.

Ford Uses Magic Number to Promote Focus Electric: 100 MPGe

Brad Berman — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 17:52:19 +0000

Ford expects its Focus Electric to be rated at 100 MPGe.

The 2012 Focus Electric is finally ready to launch, so Ford will do its best to find ways to put its pure EV in a positive light compared to the Nissan LEAF. The company is using this tag line: "The first five-passenger electric vehicle with a 100 miles per gallon equivalent (MPGe)."

Nissan and Ford Respond to Chevy Volt Fire Issue

Brad Berman — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 12:58:44 +0000

The design of the Nissan LEAF battery pack could reduce driving range during extreme temperatures, but might make it safer than batteries using liquid coolant.

A year ago, PluginCars.com contributor Tom Molougney wondered if Nissan made the right call to not use an active thermal management system—which could be the key to maintaining expected driving range in extreme temperatures. At the time, Nissan said, "We are confident the LEAF will perform well in all ambient temperatures."

Ford's Focus Electric Marketing Chief Talks Pricing, Leasing, Reservation Process

Nick Chambers — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 20:55:23 +0000

Of this coming year's electric car debuts, Ford's 2012 Focus Electric has been one of the most anticipated among the growing group of electric car consumers. But after the announcement that the Focus Electric will start at a base price of $39,995, many of those who were anticipating it have now begun to grumble about missed opportunities and an apparent lack of commitment to the electric car market.

I sat down with Ford's Focus Electric Marketing Manager, Chad D'Arcy, for a chat about these issues and the decisions Ford has made in bringing an electric car to market.

Is the Pricing Competitive?

A 2012 Nissan LEAF carries a base price of around $36,000 (nearly $3,000 more than the 2011 model), but D'Arcy says using this price as a point of comparison to the Focus Electric is like comparing apples to oranges.

Ford Misses the Mark with $40k Focus Electric Price Tag

Brad Berman — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 13:22:08 +0000

Ford prices 2012 Focus Electric at $39,995. Order yours starting today.

The 2012 Ford Focus Electric officially has its price tag, an online configurator and is available to reserve starting today. As we reported on Monday, it's very good news to see a new choice for getting behind the wheel of an electric car. However, the $40,000 price tag is simply not competitive, raising questions about Ford's commitment to selling electric cars in significant quantities—or even being perceived by the early adopters as a company that cares about the technology.