Starting
today, Ford will take orders for the 2012 Focus Electric, which has
been priced at $39,200, excluding a $795 destination fee. A limited
number of the electric compact cars will be available before the end of
the year in California, New York and New Jersey, with 15 other markets getting the EV early next year.
In contrast, the Nissan Leaf starts at $35,200, and the Mitsubishi i
starts at $29,125. Currently, that makes the Ford Focus the most
expensive of the mainstream electric cars, but it comes better equipped
than the rest. The 2012 Coda EV,
which recently went on sale, costs $44,900. All of these electric cars
are eligible for a $7,500 tax credit. If you’re eligible for the whole
credit, that would translate to a $31,700 asking price for the Focus
Electric.
The model comes nicely equipped with automatic headlights, a 10-speaker
Sony stereo, dual-zone automatic climate control, MyFord Touch,
navigation, 8-inch touch-screen display, backup camera, rear parking
sensor, leather-wrapped steering wheel, passive entry system and
push-button start. The upholstery is an earth-friendly cloth made of
100% post-industrial materials; materials that would otherwise end up in
landfills, according to Ford. Leather seats are a $995 option.
The Focus Electric is powered by a 123-horespower, 100-kilowatt AC
electric motor that makes 181 pounds-feet of torque, mated to a
single-speed automatic transmission. The 23-kilowatt lithium-ion battery
pack is a kilowatt less than the Leaf’s battery. The Focus EV has a top
speed of 84 mph, much lower than the Leaf’s top governed speed of 90
mph. Unlike the Leaf, the Focus’ battery pack is liquid cooled and
heated, which is supposed to better regulate battery temperatures in
extreme weather. The car can get a full charge on a 240-volt outlet in
three to four hours, Ford says, compared with the eight hours it takes
to charge the Leaf at the same voltage. There’s no fast-DC-charging
option in the Focus EV; the Leaf theoretically can be charged to 80% in
30 minutes with this added-cost option that we've tested on the Cars.com long-term Leaf.
Total range is pending, but earlier indications are the Focus EV will
go about as far as the Leaf. Ford’s modular 240-volt charging station
can be removed from your home if you move, and the automaker says it
will save Focus EV buyers $500 to $700 compared with the 240-volt
stations offered by Nissan and GM.
The Focus EV looks like a more aerodynamic version of the Focus, with
17-inch Michelin Energy Saver tires and a large trapezoidal grille that
appears to be fashioned by Aston Martin, according to Cars.com Industry
Analyst Kelsey Mays. A plug port sits above the driver-side front
fender. Inside, twin LCD screens flank the speedometer, with battery
charge in place of a fuel gauge.
Besides those nuanced differences, this pretty much looks like a
regular Focus, which raises a potential problem: It’s hard to show off a
near-$40,000 gasless car (and thus making your neighbors jealous) if it
looks the same as its gas counterpart ... one that has a sub-$17,000
starting price. Still, if vanity is your aim in the eco-conscious game,
we haven’t experienced much envy for our Leaf, either; most people think
it’s a cute compact car.
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