Ford Motor Company is well-known for its large sedans, tough trucks, nimble hatchbacks and brutal muscle cars. But now, they can add one more to their model line list: a fully electric, fully available vehicle. The 2012 Focus Electric is the first zero-emissions passenger car to ever come out of the Blue Oval and will be the flagship of an entirely new and transformed lineup. That lineup will include one-third of its population averaging 40 mpg or better in 2012. Ford isn’t stopping just at zero-emissions as the car’s expected mile per gallon equivalent (MPGe) should best all of its competition.
Based on the already successful 2012 Focus, the electric version benefits from the conventional car’s past experiences. Because of its size and layout, it will the first five passenger vehicle to average 100 equivalent mpg. Powered by a lithium-ion battery with liquid cooling and heating, a single speed transmission and a torque-filled electric motor, the Focus Electric has efficiency down to a science. For optimum driving, the active cooling and heating system pre-temps the liquid depending on the outside conditions. On hot days, chilled fluid absorbs the heat from the battery while heated liquid warms the battery in colder weather. Ford has been testing the system for a few years now just to make sure that when the Focus Electric hits the streets, it will work.
Another one-up by Ford is the Focus Electric’s charging time. The time it takes to go from drained to fully charged is between three to four hours, or half the time it takes the Nissan LEAF. “Focus Electric’s innovative faster charging technology can help customers save money and get much more out of the car in a busy day of running around town and recharging between stops,” said Sherif Marakby, director of Ford’s Electrification Programs and Engineering. Orders for the 2012 Focus Electric are already available for California, New York and New Jersey. Early in 2012, the car’s availability will expand to 15 new markets and continue from there.
Source: Ford
