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Old 09-25-2012, 04:16 PM   #1
XDCX
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Default Tested the 2013 Ford Focus Electric at Barrett-Jackson

While I always enjoy going to Barrett-Jackson to watch the auction and check out the muscle cars the OEM exhibits have also attracted my interest. Both Ford and GM have great exhibits at Barrett-Jackson and one of the vehicles I got to test was a 2013 Ford Focus Electric.

If you'll notice my verbiage, I said "test" and not "drive" because Ford wasn't allowing anyone but their drivers to drive the 2013 Ford Focus Electric - I'm not sure why? It wasn't a problem for me, I just wanted to compare it to my experience last year in a Chevrolet Volt.

Overall, I was impressed. The Focus Electric looks just like every other Focus and it's remarkably quiet when driving. The vehicle I tested had a full charge and showed an available range of 70+ miles.

Here's a great article from the USA Today that provides more information - click here
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Old 09-25-2012, 04:29 PM   #2
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Default Here's a picture of the engine compartment

I took a picture of the engine compartment of the 2013 Ford Focus Electric mostly because I was surprised to see the 12 volt battery was still there. It's not like the car needs the battery to power the starter....

I'm guessing it was cheaper/easier for Ford to keep the 12 volt battery in place so they didn't have to make a lot of changes to the wiring harness for the electric vehicles.

Here's the picture:


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Old 09-25-2012, 04:37 PM   #3
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Default The potential deal-breaker - A MSRP of $39,200

I try to keep an open-mind and I can see a day where electric vehicles may become an attractive alternative to gasoline powered vehicles. I'd certainly like to see our country reduce or eliminate our reliance on foreign oil.

That said, if there's a deal-killer with the Ford Focus Electric I think it's got to be the price - the MSRP is $39,200. Sure, some people will qualify for a $7,500 Federal Tax Incentive and all owners will benefit from the lower cost of ownership, but the $20K difference in price would buy a lot of gas.

The other deal killer - the range before the vehicle needs to be recharged.

Hopefully technology will continue to evolve and vehicles like the Ford Focus Electric will become a better alternative to their gasoline counterpart.


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Old 01-21-2013, 05:29 PM   #4
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Default

I was really interested in this vehicle when it first came out. I still may look into one in the future, but for now, the high price and non availability in the St. Louis market has it off my list. I like the looks and I like the idea of not having to get fuel at gas stations anymore. Since I only travel ~15 miles round trip to and from work, I could use this as my daily driver and go 3 or 4 days without recharging. I could come home, plug it in (like a cell phone) and watch tv while it charges. If I need to go on longer trips, I would just take one of my other cars. I see this as the perfect daily driver for me if (when) the price comes down to reasonable levels and the car becomes available in my part of the country.

Last edited by AR2; 01-21-2013 at 05:31 PM.
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Old 01-22-2013, 01:10 PM   #5
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I still think electric cars are what we'll all be driving in the distant (10+ years) future but there's no question they've gotten off to a rocky start in the U.S.

I watched a really interesting segment on CNET where they ranked the Top 5 Electric Cars. Here's a link to the video on YouTube - click here. They made the comment that the Smart Car is a better electric car then it is as a gasoline car - I wonder if the same will hold true for the electric version of the Fiat 500?

The top car in the CNET list was the Tesla Model S and I was surprised to see that it was actually a car that could be used as a primary vehicle for most people. The "deal breaker" is the price of almost $60K but I'm sure as technology improves the prices will fall.

I wonder how the cost of ownership of a $60K Tesla Model S compares to a similar sized gasoline powered sedan that would sell for $30K? At some point the lower cost of electric power will offset the higher acquisition price.
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