Ford Opens Ordering for Electric Focus : $39,995

No, I always assumed QC is the 240v charger. 30 minutes? Damn, that's like 48 kW draw.

 

No iMiev but here's one:

2011 Nissan Leaf vs. 2013 Ford Focus Electric - Comparison - Motor Trend

 

If I owned a Ford dealership, you wouldn't see any of these ordered. Even a customer order with a deposit might be cancelled and the unit would sit and grow to the asphalt. Lot's of people might look and you may as well keep it parked up front to satisfy the demand for test drives. However, a Focus is essentially an $18,000 econ-o-box and anyone who would be willing to pay forty grand for one should have their head examined.

A Prius is a Corolla hatchback with a cutting edge super fuel efficient power train and it's priced that way. I wouldn't have been interested in mine if the MSRP had been $40K.

 

ya, most Quick Charger are rated at 50 or 60 Kw.

all in all; very very disappointed and a bit shocked. i did not expect Ford to pay lip service to EV technology. i thought for sure they would go head to head with the Leaf. they are too expensive and not having QC is a mistake.

on that, i can only guess it will come out in later versions when other manufacturers decide what they want to do which basically means Nissan and Mitsubishi have at least another 2-3 years before there is any kind of competing QC tech other than Tesla which is not letting anyone play in their sandbox so that be a non compete as well.

my hopes that Ford would lead the EV charge for the US side is fading fast

 

Didn't QC started in Japan? US and EU agreed on one standard to "compete" for control. I think the plug war is why Focus EV doesn't have QC.

 

I'm disappointed, but not shocked. Nissan has stated that went more bare bones on the EV drive train of the Leaf to keep the price low. That's why it doesn't have an active thermal control system for the battery. It is known that keeping the pack in an ideal temperature range improves its charge and discharge performance. Real world data is needed, but I suspect the Focus will perform better in the North East and other areas with real winters.

As for $40,000 being too much for a Focus, a big chunk of that extra 20 grand is the battery. Those costs are a major hurdle for all EVs. Ford could have changed the name and sheet metal. That would entail more design time and different tool dies for manufacturing, at the least. Even if it never showed up in the price, that is still an increase in cost and emissions. Besides, have you never heard the Volt called a Cruze hybrid?

 

I Think this $40,000. Price Point will kill the car in the mass market.

With the exception of the TRUE EV Enthusiast few will sell at this price point.

 

I gather that Ford will sell the Focus EV in very small numbers in very limited markets, at least for a while. Seems they want to do a small trial run before entering the market on a large scale. To that end, the high price point will insure that only very serious EV enthusiasts buy it. This is probably a good idea for a trial run.

I think Nissan was smart to design its EV from the ground up, clearly distinguishing the car as something new and different, rather than merely a trim line of an existing car.

Toyota did the same with the Prius, rather than just stick a hybrid drive train into an existing car (though they did that later, after establishing the hybrid concept in a unique car.)

I think it's a marketing mistake to put a revolutionary new technology in an older, existing car. It makes it seem like a small revision rather than a visionary leap into the future.

 

I tend to agree with you before I rented a Focus SEL. Now I feel Focus is not econ-o-box anymore. It handles very well above entry class and IMHO deserves to be priced as $1k premium over Hyundai. Now, I am still disappointed with their pricing of electric Focus, the proposed benefit over Leaf couldn't justify $5k over in my mind.

 

amen to that. plus, i think its simply too much "baggage" to retrofit something completely different. it makes it too easy to compared the "hybrid" premium when you have a gas equivalent to compare.

the Ford Fusion Hybrid is a prime example. probably the best mid sized hybrid out there and it almost passed un noticed.

 

Only in the sense that many people don't look past the Prius. The FFH+MKZH have together outsold the TCH consistently. Not Camry+CT200h+RX450h numbers, but pre-quake monthly sales were typically between 1500 and 2000. Numbers are low now though, which is likely a combination of supply and the HSH+KOH putting a big dent in sales. The FFH and MKZ helped kill the HS250h.

 

Yeah, the Rav4 EV is a horrible idea. Toyota better reconsider it.

The current Focus is a new design, that I personally feel stands out from its competitors. It's a return to a global model (the past NA generation deviated from the rest of the world). As I understand it, hybrid and electric drive trains where taking into account during its design. In other words, it's a glider like the original Rav4 body Toyota converted to EV. Like that Rav4 EV, the price is high because batteries are expensive, and it's being made in limited numbers.

Ford is taking a conservative approach to EVs. We see of enlarging the battery pack pushes up a car's price. So pure EV's are going to be a niche market for now. They have chosen to focus more on hybrids and improving ICEs (they'll be around for awhile), but have not ignored EVs. The Focus is out there to gain experience and build their rep in EVs, but they have the pieces in place for when the EV market grows.

 

I have to like that ford has gotten in the game. Its only making a small bet, while nissan is all in.

This is true, but the focus bev was put together quickly. This meant that the battery was packaged under the back seat and behind it. This is similar to other hybrids that stick their battery in the trunk. The use of the c platform reduced costs for ford, but involved a compromise that raised the cg, weight, and reduced cargo area. All in all not a bad compromise.

Now this is what ford is thinking, Nissan is thinking its going to be a big market. If nissan is right they will get volumes up to reduce costs and it will become highly profitable like the prius. They are pricing it low hoping this will happen. If ford and toyota are right nissan will lose a great deal of money. For a bev consumer, nissan is making it easier to get in the market by setting the price low and eating the initial losses.

The focus bev is also out there to bring people into show rooms and sell them other focuses, c-max hybrids and energis (same c-platform), and fussion hybrids.

For a consumer the advantages of a focus bev over leaf
styling(ymmv)
platform (focus is a better platform than versa, but bev takes care of many platform problem, need to wait for reviews to see if the focus handles better)
liquid cooling battery pack
faster recharge

For same consumer the advantages of leaf over focus bev
price
cargo area
Nissan commitment

It will take years to really know reliability, until then price will likely be the big differentiator, and the leaf should greatly outsell the focus bev. This is as ford's marketing intends it, and they can drop the price to increase volume as can Nissan.

 

Seems 40 grand is becoming the price point so pick your poison. I'll stay with my gen III prius thank you.

 

realistically after incentives you are talking more like $36,000 after taxes, etc...as for me? i will stick to my $27,300 Leaf

 

Incentive really depend on location. If someone wants an EV, and is ok with the leaf styling and range, I don't price can possibly be an issue. The thing is quite affordable, especially in places that have incentives on top of the federal ones. Locally the city utility with some federal money gives you a 240V charger in exchange for the ability to monitor your electricity usage. In other places they give you cash.

The focus is more expensive, but I still think some people will want them. It will be enough to keep ford in the game for the next generation, but the additional price will move many adopters to the leaf.

 

In my area tax, license, title and documentation fees are over 4 thousand. That brings the price to over 44 thousand. How much incentives are received 8 thousand ? to equal 36 thousand out the door.

 

What's the easiest way to get folks to use your product?
Give it away.

Second best, price it competitively to gain market share, if that's the goal.

I wish Ford would take a page from the Leaf songbook. Create some buzz and incite demand, even if they're unable to meet it initially. Instead, these will likely sit around dealerships (if they even show up).

Personal jury still out on the idea of a unique body for the car. On one hand, it's a good device, if used well. On the other, I am intrigued by the idea of a given model of automobile offered with a number of different powertrains, to suit different needs. Instead of a huge selection of ICEs, like used to be the case in the '60s, we'd see other options instead.

I suppose working with the same platform might be a hindrance from a packaging standpoint, but good aero is good aero, regardless, and is always a benefit. And as batteries become smaller, packaging could become less of an issue.

Overall, a bit disappointed with this car, primarily due to the price. A lower price makes it much easier to accept compromise, and take a chance with something new.

 

Ford has been fairly active with the buzz. The problem is that even THAT isn't as good as Nissan's. IMO, there has been an air of disingenuous intent to Ford's propaganda.....as if they really aren't "in it".

Like most others, I too was completely let down when they announced the price. And if I am not mistaken, unlike Nissan, Ford isn't even making these things. They are being farmed out for the electrification.