Ford Focus Next Electric Car to Hit the Market

With electric cars from Chevrolet and Nissan grabbing headlines, Ford will counter by introducing an eco-friendly plug-in version of its Ford Focus in 19 cities across the country. The fuel-efficient, zero-emission Focus is designed to compete with the Chevy Volt and the Nissan Leaf.

The 2012 Ford Focus Electric, which is the model year that will debut, will have a top speed of 84 miles per hour, and is expected to have a zero-to-sixty speed of under ten seconds. The price of the new version of the Focus has not yet been announced.

"Focus Electric is the flagship of our new family of electrified vehicles, showcasing our commitment to offer consumers choice when it comes to fuel-efficient or fuel-free vehicles," says Derrick Kuzak, Ford group vice president for Global Product Development. "Its suite of smart driver information technologies will transform the way customers think about energy usage and their transportation needs."

The initial markets where the Ford Focus Electric will be available are Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, New York, Orlando, Phoenix, Portland, OR, Raleigh-Durham, NC; Richmond, Seattle, Tucson and Washington, D.C.

Charging stations

One of the features that Ford hopes will set the Focus apart from its competitors is its three-to-four hour charging time. That is about half of what the Nissan Leaf requires. When plugged in to a home charger, a powering system designed by Microsoft will maximize efficiency by charging the car in off-peak hours when electric rates are lowest.

Ford will partner with Best Buy stores to sell a home charging station that it says will cost $700 less than the charger required for a Leaf and can be installed by the store's Geek Squad service. The company says the Focus will have a range of 100 miles per charge.

"By working with Best Buy to offer the charging station installation service solution, Ford is providing electric vehicle customers in the U.S. with a familiar, trusted source to turn to for their installation needs," says Mike Tinskey , manager of vehicle electrification and infrastructure at Ford.

Green technology

Ford's version of the electric car is packed with new technology - like mobile applications that allow the driver to unlock the doors, and a mapping program tied to the car's GPS system that will help owners plan trips by identifying the location of public charging stations.

"Just like the iPhone is more than just a phone and a Playstation is more than just a gaming system, a truly great product not only serves its intended purpose, it reinvents the purpose," says Ford CEO Alan Mulally of the Focus Electric. "It moves from being a device or commodity to being an indispensable part of our daily lives."

Mobile apps for the Ford Focus Electric will be free for the first five years, and be available for most major smart phones, including Android, Blackberry, and the iPhone.