2012 Ford Focus Electric

[Sprint XR8]

Ford has released a teaser image of the 2012 Ford Focus Electric ahead of its global unveiling in Las Vegas on Friday.
Determined not to get lost in the crowd at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit later in the month, Ford has chosen to reveal the zero-emissions small car at the Consumer Electronics Show, which runs from January 6-9.
The image shows an electric charging port above the front left wheel arch illuminated by a blue ring of light. Also revealed for the first time is the ‘electric’ badge the vehicle will wear, which joins together a green leaf and a dark stretch of road.
The Focus Electric will use lithium-polymer batteries sourced from LG Chem – the same company that supplies batteries to General Motors for the Chevrolet Volt. It is understood the Focus Electric will have a range of around 160km.
The vehicle will be built alongside the standard Focus and will initially go on sale in 19 selected markets in the US towards the end of 2011.
More details of the Blue Oval’s new green machine will be revealed at its unveiling on Friday.

http://www.caradvice.com.au/96698/20...-image-teased/

[deesun]

With a range of 160k its still esentially a "city"car.

[Paxton]

Originally Posted by deesun

With a range of 160k its still esentially a "city"car.

How often to commuters travel further than 160 Kms in a day? Not very.

I drive from The Shire to Wollongong most days, and that is just over 100. An electric car would be perfect for my wife, as our second car. I think, until the range increases (with Hydrogen Fuel cells, or whatever), that electric cars are slated to be second cars in Australia. If you lived in New York, on the other hand, an Electric car would be perfect, but the distances that we cover in Australia, we need something with a larger range.

[deesun]

Originally Posted by Paxton

How often to commuters travel further than 160 Kms in a day? Not very.

I drive from The Shire to Wollongong most days, and that is just over 100. An electric car would be perfect for my wife, as our second car. I think, until the range increases (with Hydrogen Fuel cells, or whatever), that electric cars are slated to be second cars in Australia. If you lived in New York, on the other hand, an Electric car would be perfect, but the distances that we cover in Australia, we need something with a larger range.

Which essentially makes it a "city"car.

[1TUFFUTE]

Originally Posted by deesun

Which essentially makes it a "city"car.

lol dejavu

[Ohio XB]

I live in the suburbs and drive the highway to work out in the country. I live right on the edge of "the country". I drive about 30 miles round trip for work and any errands I want or need to run will be about another 10 - 20 miles or so, so about 50 miles a day. I never thought I would consider an electric car but this would be perfect for me. Another consideration is that I am CHEAP, and this thing will go 100 miles on a charge that will cost about $1.50 USD (according to Ford; $1 to $2 to recharge depending on local electricity rates.)

If I can drive for TWO DAYS on $1.50 I am tickled to death!


Steve

[chevypower]

Originally Posted by Ohio XB

I live in the suburbs and drive the highway to work out in the country. I live right on the edge of "the country". I drive about 30 miles round trip for work and any errands I want or need to run will be about another 10 - 20 miles or so, so about 50 miles a day. I never thought I would consider an electric car but this would be perfect for me. Another consideration is that I am CHEAP, and this thing will go 100 miles on a charge that will cost about $1.50 USD (according to Ford; $1 to $2 to recharge depending on local electricity rates.)

If I can drive for TWO DAYS on $1.50 I am tickled to death!


Steve

I agree with that. Use a regular car for those very few days you need to travel further. Plus as technology progresses, there will be a faster way to charge the car. Maybe they can make the roads feature the same wireless charging technology as those phone chargers. Put all the powerlines under the roads! Keep the cars charging while you are driving!

[jpd80]

Electric Vehicle Range extender = attaching a box trailer and a diesel generator?

I just got a vision of Wreckair or Coates Hire doing a roaring trade.....

[zebby]

http://carscoop.blogspot.com/2011/01...lug-in-ev.html

And they have given it an Aston front!!!

[DJM83]

Looks nothing like an Aston, but it does look like the '12' Focus. Yep definately a city car and would also suit me aswell, i could drive it to work and back for nearly 2 weeks.

[Jason[98.EL]]

I like it

would also be good for me driving only about 40-50 ks a day then the odd 100 k trip in there

Jason

[chevypower]

Originally Posted by zebby

http://carscoop.blogspot.com/2011/01...lug-in-ev.html

And they have given it an Aston front!!!

I agree the grille is very Aston-like. Same with the new Ford Territory.

[FocusLX06]

I'd buy this, but the whole "Plug-in" thing needs to be improved. They need to use a charge mat or something similar.

[fmc351]

As someone said, for many families they will make a great second car for shortish trips like shopping, dropping off the kids, visiting family/friends nearby, or if you work reasonably close etc.

Depending how long they take to fully recharge I can see shopping centers having an option to recharge/top up while you shop, similar to the car washes at some shopping centers. Or even parking centers could do the same which would mean you could drive from the Sunny Coast to Brisbane for a days shopping while it recharges and head back home. At home we're pretty much stuck with 240v and maybe ??20?? amps. Unless youre running 3 phase. Id guess such places could pretty easily install higher power sources to quick charge many cars at once.


Disclaimer, I dont know how long they take to charge, but I recall Tesla claiming they could fully charge in 4 hours, whereas at home it might take 48hrs. That was awhile ago, i assume its all improved since then.

[nstg8a]

Originally Posted by jpd80

Electric Vehicle Range extender = attaching a box trailer and a diesel generator?

I just got a vision of Wreckair or Coates Hire doing a roaring trade.....

while i realise your taking the pi, ahh, you know.... why dont they make electric cars that use an onboard ic engine purely as a generator to charge the batteries?
surely you would only need a small capacity single speed engine to keep up the charge, along with the capability to plug in and charge when at home. would massively increase the range, and while still using fossil fuels, it would be a very small amount compared to a 'normal' car.


if they already do then umm, carry on lol

[Watto_Cobra]

Originally Posted by nstg8a

while i realise your taking the pi, ahh, you know.... why dont they make electric cars that use an onboard ic engine purely as a generator to charge the batteries?
surely you would only need a small capacity single speed engine to keep up the charge, along with the capability to plug in and charge when at home. would massively increase the range, and while still using fossil fuels, it would be a very small amount compared to a 'normal' car.


if they already do then umm, carry on lol

Yep, there already is one. It's called the Chevrolet Volt.

[Sprint XR8]

Alan Mulally's high-voltage plan for the Ford Focus

The Focus-platform EV will come in three flavors: gas-electric hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and full electric.

When he took over as CEO of Ford in 2006, he was faced with a handful of under-performing brands: Jaguar, Land Rover, Volvo, and Mercury. Rather than try to fix them, he declared them a distraction to his One Ford strategy and let them go.
Now he's doing the same thing with electric vehicles -- playing to Ford's strengths rather than following the pack.

Ford (F, Fortune 500) never got around to creating a purpose-built EV like Toyota's Prius, Nissan's Leaf, or General Motors' Volt that are supposed to be the sine qua non of success for alternative energy vehicles.

Instead of a one-off, Mulally is leveraging the production volume of Ford's global cars. He has taken a single car platform -- the C- compact structure that underpins the Focus in the U.S. and C-max in Europe -- and adapted it for three kinds of electric drive.

By integrating his EVs with an existing set of components, he saves money because he is leveraging his production volumes. The more cars you build off a single platform, the cheaper it is.

"We are going to use the scale of our global platform to create the most capability going forward," he told Fortune recently.

Making a profit on EVs is a bridge too far for most manufacturers, but not for Ford, says Mulally. The overall profitability of the Focus line acts as a moneymaking umbrella over the EV model variations.

The Focus-platform EV will come in three flavors, depending mostly on the size of the battery pack: gas-electric hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and full electric.

Ever the engineer, Mulally gave Fortune an insight into how he thinks about costs and capabilities of each variation, using the ballpark estimate of $700 to $1,100 per kilowatt hour.

The gas-electric hybrid, in which the batteries mostly give an assist to the gasoline engine, has a 60-pound pack that generates 1.4 kw/hr.
The plug-in hybrid, which has rechargeable batteries for limited all-electric motoring, carries a 240-pound pack that produces 7.5 kw/hr.
Finally, the all-electric Focus, which Ford launched on Friday, will haul around 700 pounds of batteries producing 23 kw/hr.
Put a pencil to those numbers and you understand why pure EVs are so expensive. The batteries alone will cost between $16,100 and $25,300.

Note the absence in Mulally's lineup of any range-assisted electrics, the clunky term GM (GM) uses to describe its Volt. Mulally figures his plug-in hybrid will have much the same capabilities but it will cost less because of far greater economies of scale. By 2012, he says, Ford will have some two million Focus-platform cars of all descriptions be in production while the number of Volts is still counted in the thousands. Better still, Ford can build all three EV varieties alongside traditional gas-powered cars on the same assembly line.

http://money.cnn.com/2011/01/07/auto...focus.fortune/

[bigsta]

Originally Posted by deesun

Which essentially makes it a "city"car.

average motorist does 15000 -20000KMs per year which equals 41-54KM per day

160KM per day = 58400KM PA more than enough for most and im sure it would have a range extender fuel motor for the odd long trip.

This is great news for Ford as the Volt is currently selling 300% above expectations and goes for same sort of money that a range rover goes for.

Holden will dominate when it comes here at the end of next year so if Ford oz price it well so should they.

[bigsta]

Originally Posted by CoupeXB

http://money.cnn.com/2011/01/07/auto...focus.fortune/

Thats incredibly smart and should see them outsell GM really both here and in the states as if it works the same and is 10K cheaper...

If toyota do not lift heir game i think the piris/camry will be goners you would really have to be a ****** to buy one of those as the fuel economy is not much better than a corolla and the focus diesel actually beats it.

[Ohio XB]

Originally Posted by fmc351

As someone said, for many families they will make a great second car for shortish trips like shopping, dropping off the kids, visiting family/friends nearby, or if you work reasonably close etc.

Depending how long they take to fully recharge I can see shopping centers having an option to recharge/top up while you shop, similar to the car washes at some shopping centers. Or even parking centers could do the same which would mean you could drive from the Sunny Coast to Brisbane for a days shopping while it recharges and head back home. At home we're pretty much stuck with 240v and maybe ??20?? amps. Unless youre running 3 phase. Id guess such places could pretty easily install higher power sources to quick charge many cars at once.


Disclaimer, I dont know how long they take to charge, but I recall Tesla claiming they could fully charge in 4 hours, whereas at home it might take 48hrs. That was awhile ago, i assume its all improved since then.

Ford says with the on-wall 240v charging center that the car will recharge in 3 to 4 hours.


I like how Ford is taking a different approach to their alternative fuel vehicles. Toyota has the Prius, a funky looking car as a hybrid, Honda the Insight, and Ford used the Escape as their first hybrid. No new design vehicle, one that they were already building.

Same with Electric Focus; no new car to be designed from a clean sheet of paper but rather one that they will be building millions of already.

Seems like a common sense approach to me. Why should you stick out like a sore thumb because your car is powered differently?

Steve

[aussie muscle]

Originally Posted by Ohio XB

Why should you stick out like a sore thumb because your car is powered differently?

because most people who bother early adopting this stuff are very smug about it.
Smug pollution. don't you watch south park?

[bigsta]

Originally Posted by aussie muscle

because most people who bother early adopting this stuff are very smug about it.
Smug pollution. don't you watch south park?

LOL yes that smug cloud over san fran was pretty bad...

Im sure they will style it slightly differently to give it an electric effect.

[Joe5619]

Originally Posted by bigsta

average motorist does 15000 -20000KMs per year which equals 41-54KM per day

160KM per day = 58400KM PA more than enough for most and im sure it would have a range extender fuel motor for the odd long trip.

This is great news for Ford as the Volt is currently selling 300% above expectations and goes for same sort of money that a range rover goes for.

Holden will dominate when it comes here at the end of next year so if Ford oz price it well so should they.

I can't see either car doing well here in Australia for a long time.. Australia has been very very very slow on hybrid tech so far & this goes even furture.

[MOND30]

... and then you plug it in and charge it with electricity from coal-fired power stations here in Oz...

Not trying to knock, it's a positive step and all, but just how 'green' is it exactly?

[nstg8a]

would be ideal in nz, majority of power there is hydro generated.

in reality would a few thousand of these things really generate much load on the grid when charging?
pollution between coal powered power stations and importing fuel? i think anything that reduces the reliance on imported fuel supplies has to be a good thing.

[russellw]

The Ford Motor Company has unveiled its all-new Focus Electric – the company’s first-ever all-electric passenger car.

The zero-CO2-emissions, petrol-free version of Ford's popular small car is the flagship of the company's growing fleet of hybrid, plug-in hybrid and all-electric vehicles coming to North America and Europe by 2013.

"Focus Electric is the flagship of our new family of electrified vehicles, showcasing our commitment to offer consumers choice when it comes to fuel-efficient or fuel-free vehicles," according to Ford group vice president for Global Product Development, Derrick Kuzak.

"Its advanced power train will deliver significant energy efficiency advantages and zero CO2 emissions without compromising driving enjoyment. And its suite of smart driver information technologies will transform the way customers think about energy usage and their transportation needs."

The Focus Electric will be launched in late 2011 in North America and is designed to offer enough range to cover the majority of daily driving habits of Americans. A full recharge is expected to take three to four hours at home with the 240-volt charge station.



Focus Electric introduces new features and technologies – including a unique version of the MyFord Touch driver connect system especially for electric vehicles, a new value charging feature powered by Microsoft and a smart-phone app called MyFord Mobile that helps plug-in owners control their vehicles remotely.

The sleek and stylish five-door hatchback leverage's Ford's global C-car platform shared by the petrol and diesel-powered Focus models, which debuted at the 2010 North American International Auto Show and were launched at the Paris Motor Show in September.

Both Focus petrol and electric variants to be sold in North America will be built at Ford's Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, Mich., with production powered in part by one of the largest solar energy generator systems in the State.

For European markets, a decision on where the Focus Electric will be built is currently being finalised.

Focus Electric is one of five new electrified vehicles included in Ford's electrification strategy. Initial deliveries of Transit Connect Electric began in North America at the end of last year and the vehicle will be launched in Europe later in 2011.

A real car
Not only is Focus Electric designed to provide outstanding energy efficiency and reliable operation, it also delivers real driving enjoyment.

The all-electric power-train and single-speed transmission provide immediate responsiveness and smooth acceleration when the driver pushes down the accelerator, up to a top speed of 136 kmh.



Much of Focus Electric's steering, handling and braking feel is shared with the agile, sporty, fuel-powered Focus models upon which it's based, making Focus Electric a dynamic driver's car.

At the same time, the absence of a petrol or diesel engine and outstanding aerodynamics lead to a remarkably quiet, comfortable in-car experience.

“More than any other electric vehicle on the market, Focus Electric loses none of the dynamics and quality of driving a traditional car,” the director of Ford’s electrification programs and engineering, Sherif Marakby, said.

“It shares many of the same premium components and features as its petrol-powered counterpart, while delivering distinct efficiencies and a uniquely exciting driving experience.”

Focus Electric offers a host of standard safety and security features including six airbags and electronic traction control, along with hands-free SYNC® telephone connectivity and MyKey® for North America. Extensive eco-friendly materials, such as bio-foam seat cushions and recycled fabrics also are featured in the vehicle.

Other standard features on Ford Focus Electric for North American customers include a unique execution of MyFord Touch driver connect technology, 15-spoke 17-inch aluminum wheels, a 60/40 split rear seat, push button start, AM/FM/CD/MP3 Sony® Audio with nine speakers, Sirius® Satellite Radio with Travel Link, HD Radio™ and voice-activated Navigation System.

Plug and play
Future owners of the Focus Electric will likely recharge the car's advanced, Ford-engineered lithium-ion battery pack at home on a daily basis, using the recommended 240-volt wall-mounted charge station that will be sold separately or the 120-volt convenience cord that comes with the vehicle.



When plugged in, the Focus Electric onboard charger converts AC power from the electric grid to DC power to charge the liquid-cooled/heated battery pack.

"We're very excited about the potential of Focus Electric in the marketplace," Ford's director of Global Electrification, Nancy Gioia, said.

"With so many of us accustomed to recharging mobile electronics on a daily basis, we're confident our customers will take to the vehicle recharging process just as easily, because that's exactly what it is – easy.

"Not only have we made the practice of plugging in simple and straightforward, we're working with leading technology companies and the utility industry to make the EV experience empowering and engaging."

An empowering experience
Focus Electric owners will be provided with a suite of driver information systems – on-board and off-board.



These are designed to help them manage the recharge process, manage the most eco-friendly route on-board, monitor battery state of charge and maximise energy efficiency to optimise their driving range.
This carefully engineered set of tools is designed to give Focus Electric the edge over competitive products, providing new electric vehicle owners the information they need to enjoy all the freedom petrol-free driving has to offer.

Among these tools is a unique execution of MyFord Touch driver connect technology. Thoughtfully developed for electric vehicle owners, it offers innovative presentation of vehicle information, such as battery state of charge, distance to charge point, the corresponding range budget and expected range margin.
The system's MyView feature allows drivers to access even more vehicle data including the electrical demands of vehicle accessories such as air conditioning, which can impact driving range.

Just as the growing leafy vine of first-generation SmartGauge™ with EcoGuide represents fuel efficiency in the Ford Fusion Hybrid, the cluster display in Focus Electric uses blue butterflies to represent the surplus range beyond one's charge point destination – the more butterflies there are, the greater the range.

Ford designers were inspired by the phenomenon known as "the butterfly effect," in which a small change, like choosing to drive an electric vehicle, can have an enormous impact.

To reinforce the message, at the end of each trip a display screen provides distance driven, kilometres gained through regenerative braking, energy consumed and a comparative petrol savings achieved by driving electric.

The cluster is also integrated with the MyFord Touch map-based Navigation System using the vehicle’s centre stack 8-inch touch screen.

After adding their driving destinations, including their next charge point, into the vehicle's navigation system, the vehicle will coach drivers on how to achieve the desired range – or if travel plans need to be adjusted. The on-board navigation system provides an EcoRoute option based on characteristics of efficient EV driving.

Remote control
Off-board, Focus Electric owners in North America will be able to maintain constant contact with the car anywhere they have mobile phone access using the Ford-developed MyFord Mobile app.

MyFord Mobile is an app that enables access via a smartphone or web-based interface to:

* Receive instant vehicle status information
* Perform key functions remotely
* Monitor the car's state of charge and current range
* Get alerts when it requires charging or has finished charging
* Remotely program charge settings and download vehicle data for analysis

The feature also allows the owner to program the vehicle to use electricity from the grid to heat or cool the battery and cabin while plugged in – called preconditioning.

For example, during hot summer months, owners can pre-program the car the evening before to be fully charged – and fully cooled to a particular temperature – by a certain time the following morning.

Users can also locate the vehicle with GPS, remotely start the vehicle and remotely lock and unlock the car doors.

Working with MapQuest®, MyFord Mobile can communicate charge station and other points of interest to Focus Electric using SYNC's Traffic, Directions and Information (TDI). Turn-by-turn guidance is provided by the in-car map-based navigation system.

Drivers can also get up-to-date charging station information in their vehicle directly through SYNC TDI simply by connecting to SYNC Services.

Value charging
The Focus Electric offers a unique value charging feature, powered by Microsoft, to help owners in the US charge their vehicles at the cheapest utility rates, lowering the cost of ownership.

"Value charging allows our customers to reduce their electricity costs by taking advantage of off-peak or other reduced rates from their utility without a complicated set-up process," manager, Ford Connected Services Organisation, Ed Pleet, said.

"This is a 'set-it-and-forget-it' approach for the customer to reduce energy cost."

The tool is designed to help customers avoid unnecessary expense by providing an optimised charge. In the future, these smart charging habits will help utility companies understand and better manage the demands placed upon the electric grid because of electrified vehicles.

Getting charged up
Focus Electric owners are likely to handle one of the vehicle's charge cord connectors two or more times each day.

That's why Ford worked with supplier Yazaki to provide an industry-standard five-point plug that is ergonomically comfortable to hold as well as durably and distinctively designed.

The plug handle uses a matte-finished black rubber that allows for a comfortable, non-slip grip. The plug head is shielded with a protective glossy white plastic.

When the cord set connector is plugged into the vehicle's charge port, which is conveniently located between the driver's door and front wheel well, it activates a light ring that loops around the port twice in acknowledgement of connectivity.

The light ring then illuminates in quadrants as the vehicle charges. Flashing quadrants represent charge in progress and solid-lit quadrants show stages of charge completion. In the unlikely event of a fault, the entire ring will flash. When the entire ring is solidly lit, the vehicle is fully charged.

Batteries included
Focus Electric will be powered by an advanced lithium-ion battery system engineered by Ford in cooperation with supplier LG Chem.

The battery system utilises heated and cooled liquid to help maximise battery life and fuel-free driving range.

Thermal management of lithium-ion battery systems is critical to the success of pure electric vehicles. Focus Electric uses an advanced active liquid cooling and heating system to pre-condition and regulate the temperature in its larger, more complex lithium-ion battery system.

The active liquid system heats or chills a coolant before pumping it through the battery cooling system.

This loop regulates temperature throughout the system against external conditions.

On hot days, chilled liquid absorbs heat from the batteries, dispersing it through a radiator before pumping it through the chiller again. On cold days, heated liquid warms the batteries, gradually bringing the system's temperature to a level that allows it to efficiently accept charge energy and provide enough discharge power for expected vehicle performance.

"Focus Electric is the culmination of years of research and development," Kuzak said.

"More importantly, it’s the start of an exciting new era for Ford and our customers."

[Yellow_Festiva]

I look forward to these cars being more common.

As batteries become more advanced and cheaper to produce there should be no extra cost involved in producing an EV. Cars, relatively speaking have gone down in price since I can remember RRP prices and with India and China finally producing better products at cheaper price it will only be a matter of when and not if you can buy a Getz sized EV for $13,990 or a Falcon sized EV for $34,990.

Who knows, one day, EV's may be the cheaper option with petrol engines commanding a premium due to their scarcity. (Visa versa to how it is at the moment).

And the range? Well, public car charging facilities are much more easier to add to current infrastructure (car parks, offices, work) as all you need is a power source and a box to monitor and deliver the charge.

I can also see extra battery packs being optioned in these cars just like long range tanks can be added to many cars already.

As funny as that generator trailer looks, the principal behind it has merit. When you have a dead battery pack you cannot simply walk to the local servo or call someone to get you 5l or petrol to get you going. The NRMA / RACQ etc will have something similar for cars that have a tow bar that feed power into the tow vehicle to get it home. Cars that don't tow will borrow a light battery pack that can be placed on the floor of the boot, much like a spare wheel today.

Agree with the fact that Ford are smart to use an existing model. The Prius is about the size of a Corolla, but obviously a very different car. I know it has been designed to cut through the air better than a Corolla, but can the small saving it produces over 100km be justified by the hundreds of millions of dollars that would have been needed to design the Prius body?

Food for thought...

[fou_bleu]

I am mighty impressed by the 3 to 4 hours charging time when using Australian mains! :O This would be an almost perfect car as I am only on my P's and don't have many far away places to go...

As for the coal-powered power stations, is the solar panel rebate still going? ;)

[fou_bleu]

Ford is also catering for those who need more space with the new C-Max Hybrid and Energi:

http://fordnewsblog.wordpress.com/20...ng-new-models/

[dannyhilton]

Originally Posted by Ohio XB

Why should you stick out like a sore thumb because your car is powered differently?

Steve

Like others have said, many people who buy these Hybrid cars want everyone else to know they have one. Honda were having a tough time selling the Civic Hybrid, but I bet people will be loving the new Insight because it gives them a higher sense of being or some crap like that!