2017 ford focus
Inside the electric Focus, you might never know you're not in the gasoline version.
#2017 ford focus drivers
Ford has tuned the regenerative braking to be somewhat on the aggressive side, but the feel will still be relatively familiar to drivers used to automatic-transmission cars.įocus Electric quality, comfort, and safety It runs well enough on the highway, though It starts to lose steam under heavy acceleration above 50 mph.īut like most electrics, the Focus Electric is at its punchiest moving away from a stop-and the motor is powerful enough to spin the inside front wheel accelerating out of turns. The electric motor's torque makes it a particularly good car for urban traffic jousting. But that weight sits low, with the battery under the floorpan, so the car feels well planted. The Focus Electric delivers the same enjoyable roadholding that gasoline Focus models do, despite several hundred pounds of extra weight. The Focus Electric pack is liquid-cooled-unlike that of the Nissan Leaf, which is only air-cooled-and that should make it somewhat more resistant to temperature extremes. The battery cells are provided by Korean maker LG Chem, which supplies similar cells for the Chevrolet Volt range-extended electric car-meaning that Ford has piggybacked on General Motor's extensive cell test and development work. (Miles Per Gallon Equivalent, or MPGe, is an efficiency measure that specifies the distance a car can travel electrically on the same amount of energy as in 1 gallon of gasoline.) Its energy efficiency also rises slightly, from 105 to 107 MPGe combined. It draws electricity from a lithium-ion battery pack enlarged from 23 to roughly 34 kilowatt-hours, boosting EPA-rated range from a bottom-of-the-list 76 miles to 115 miles. The Focus Electric is powered by a 107-kilowatt (143-horsepower) electric motor that drives the front wheels. For 2017, a differently shaped charge-port door is the sole indicator of the new model year and longer range. Only a couple of chrome "Electric" door badges and the charging port on the left front fender indicate that the Focus Electric has no engine under its hood.
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While it was initially identifiable by a unique grille design, the gasoline Focus was restyled with a very similar look in 2015. It is virtually unchanged from the model launched for 2012. The compact five-door hatchback is an adaptation of a gasoline model, built on the same assembly line in Michigan as all other North American Focus versions. ( Read more about how we rate cars this year.) While it's a competent electric car that now has at least average range, it brings little that's special to the table, and both Ford and its dealers are notably unenthusiastic about selling it. We rate this year's Ford Focus Electric at 6.3 points out of a possible 10. By far its strongest competition, however, will come from the new Chevrolet Bolt EV, with a rated range of 238 miles that's twice that of the newly upgraded Focus Electric. It competes with the Nissan Leaf, the Volkswagen e-Golf, and the upcoming Hyundai Ioniq Electric.
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That means Ford dealers outside those regions may be unfamiliar with the car. The Focus Electric remains a " compliance car," one sold only in limited numbers in a handful of regions to allow its maker to meet zero-emission vehicle sales requirements in California. The Focus Electric comes in only a single trim level.
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After falling to the bottom of the list on range and features for several years, the electric Focus gets a higher-capacity battery and the option of DC fast-charging for 2017-bringing it back to at least the middle of the electric-car pack. Now in its sixth model year, the 2017 Ford Focus Electric is the sole battery-electric vehicle sold anywhere in the world by Ford.