Billy Tompson: Focus Electric Takes Ford Into the Electric Car Market

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Focus Electric Takes Ford Into the Electric Car Market

Ford decided to use CES as the stage to announce its foray into the field of electric vehicles. In late 2011, the American car company will begin selling the Focus Electric, the first member of its all-electric fleet of vehicles, which will grow to a total of five by 2013. Though the company would not say how far the car can travel on a charge, or what the MPG-equivalence is, it promised that the Focus would surpass the Chevy Volt in those regards, and would be comparable to other all-electric vehicles like the Leaf. Ford is also promising incredibly quick charge times, with only three to four hours required when using the optional 240-volt charge station.

The car will also launch with a special version of MyFord Touch and the 'MyFord Mobile' app, which will let you check the car's battery level, find the nearest charging station, and even view how much an individual system (such as the AC) is drawing on the battery and thus reducing the range. The navigation system will also be getting a new 'EcoRoute' option, which finds the most energy-efficient driving route (presumably one that avoids traffic lights and keeps the speed low). Owners will be able to access much of that information, as well as remotely turn their vehicle on or off, from the 'MyFord Mobile' app or from the Web. The car will even send alerts when it needs to be charged or is done juicing up. Check out the gallery below for an early look at the 2011 Ford Focus Electric.

Gallery: Ford Focuc Electric