Ford Fokus E-lectric car
Performance
All electric cars earn points for high torque at zero rpm. In our week with the Focus Electric, the powertrain felt as if it had been configured for highway driving, offering rapid bursts of acceleration from 30 to 50 mph, and from 55 to 75, with oomph left in reserve. The Focus employs a 107-kilowatt (143 horsepower) motor, compared to the LEAF’s 80-kilowatt (110 horsepower) motor. Top speed for the Focus electric is governed to 84 mph.
Ford engineers managed to deliver its wallop of power while keeping the cabin extremely quiet by using extra insulation and sound damping. The single-speed transmission produces direct linear velocity. In city driving, the Focus is well planted, and controlled by taut steering. With its 650-pound battery pack, the car is relatively heavy, at 3,642 pounds. Engineers compensated by adjusting springs and shocks to handle the extra weight in the rear. The car feels substantial.
Efficiency/Range
The Environmental Protection Agency’s estimated driving range is 76 miles. Based on our test drives, that is an accurate estimation of daily driving, even if a little bit conservative. With careful driving, you should be able to push the range to between 80 and 90 miles per charge.
For comparison, the LEAF with a 24 kWh pack has an EPA-estimated driving range of 84 miles. (The Focus Electric’s pack is 23 kilowatt-hours.) The LEAF uses passively air-cooled temperature management system, while Ford opted to utilize an a more robust active liquid cooled and heated battery pack—allowing for more stable battery operation over a wide range of temperatures.
The EPA ratings for efficiency are 110 MPGe in the city and 99 MPGe on the highway—for a combined rating of 105 miles per gallon equivalent.
Charging
The Focus Electric uses a 6.6-kilowatt on board charger capable of adding about 20 to 25 miles of driving range in an hour, when pulling 240 volts. Essentially, this is the state-of-the art in terms of charging speed, and most drivers will find this rate quite adequate (especially considering that the vast majority of charging takes place overnight).
In terms of higher speed Quick Charging, Ford executives were among the leaders of the development of the SAE combo cord protocol. This move was somewhat controversial, but if given the benefit of the doubt, Ford and other American and German automakers were intending to improve upon the CHAdeMO quick-charge standard used by Japanese automakers.
Unfortunately, when it comes to the Focus Electric, it's a moot point. The battery-powered Focus does not offer any type of QC port—found in public charging stations to provide a charge from empty to about 80 percent in less than 30 minutes. The lack of a Quick-Charge port, in our estimation, is not a deal killer. In real world driving, it is seldom used except by those making frequent long-distance commutes.
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Ford Fokus Electrc...