The Electric Ford
Ford is set to go with an electric version of the Focus sedan, which will go on sale in North America by the end of 2011. Ford’s Focus Electric is expected to travel up to 100 miles on a single charge. Not only that, the American auto maker claims it will fully charge within three or four hours while only using a home 240-volt outlet. Why is that such a big deal? It’s half the time it takes to charge a Nissan Leaf, one of Ford’s soon-to-be competitors.
Fuel efficiency numbers “will be competitive with the Leaf.” They better be – Environmental Protection Agency estimated Leaf would get the equivalent of 106 miles per gallon city, 92 miles per gallon highway.
Ford said the Focus “will have a unique, Microsoft-designed powering feature that will charge the vehicle during off-peak hours, when utility rates are cheapest, to save on electric bills. It also has a touchscreen with information such as the amount of charge left, the distance to the next charging station and the amount of gasoline saved.”
Pricing for the future Focus Electric was not announced. Ford will introduce four other electric vehicles in North America over the next two years.
Source: NPR
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