Ford Focus Electric is Most Fuel-Efficient 5-Passenger Vehicle

(photo from Ford.com)

From Ford.com:

• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency certifies the 2012 Ford Focus Electric as America’s most fuel-efficient five-passenger vehicle with a 110 miles per gallon equivalent (MPGe) city rating
• Focus Electric achieves a combined rating of 105 MPGe, topping Nissan Leaf by 6 MPGe while also offering more motor power, passenger room and standard features
• Customers can make more use of this efficiency with Ford’s faster charging technology that can recharge Focus Electric in about half the time of Nissan Leaf
• Ford gives customers the power of choice with 10 fuel-efficiency leaders across segments and powertrain technologies

“Ford is giving customers the power of choice for leading fuel economy regardless of what type of vehicle or powertrain technology they choose,” said Eric Kuehn, chief nameplate engineer, Focus Electric. “The Focus and Fusion are great examples of how we transformed our fleet of cars, utilities and trucks with leading fuel efficiency.”

The EPA-approved Focus Electric label also certifies that the car has a range of 76 miles on a single charge compared with the 73-mile range of the Leaf. The Focus Electric can be driven up to 100 miles on a single charge depending on driving habits. The average driver drives 29 miles a day, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics website.

The approved label also will say customers could save $9,700 in fuel costs over the course of five years compared with the average new vehicle. Comparative savings could go even higher if the current trend of rising gas prices continues. In California alone, the cost for a gallon of gas rose 20 cents in a seven-day period that ended last week.

Learn more about the 2012 Ford Focus Electric at Lakewood Fordland.

 

Ford Identifies Optimal Electric Vehicle Charge Port Location

From Ford.com:

•Ford engineers researched several locations for the Focus Electric and C-MAX Energi charge ports to ensure the port was in the best possible place for customer use


•The team used market research studies to identify consumer expectations about how owners would charge the vehicle

•The front and rear of the vehicle were determined as unsuitable locations for the charge port because they are areas with high risk of damage in small crashes

•Ford’s aggressive electrification strategy includes the launch of five electrified vehicles in North America by 2012 and Europe by 2013

Read entire article here.

Ford Pushes for Electric Vehicle Readiness in U.S.

From Ford.com:

While Ford is gearing up to launch the all-new Focus Electric later this year and C-MAX Energi plug-in hybrid in 2012, cities around the country also are preparing for the arrival of new electric vehicles. Some of the key actions Ford has identified in working with cities and utility partners include:

•Utility rate structure that encourages "off-peak" or nighttime EV charging to minimize demand on the existing electric grid

•Streamlined permitting and inspection process to support customer and commercial EV infrastructure installation

•Integrated advisory committees that include participation from electric utilities, vehicle manufacturers and dealers, municipalities, EV customers and local coalitions

•Urban planning approach to optimize public/commercial EV charge locations

•Infrastructure incentives to offset a portion of customer costs for hardware/installation

“As more and more electric vehicles come to market, it’s incredibly important that cities develop action plans including infrastructure development and permitting solutions to ensure these vehicles are a viable solution for citizens,” said Mike Tinskey, Ford’s manager of Vehicle Electrification and Infrastructure. “Ford continues outreach with cities across the country to spread best practices and work with multiple partners including local utilities, auto manufacturers, technology companies and others to support a successful integration of electric vehicles.”

Read entire article here.

Learn more about Ford's electric vehicle options at Lakewood Fordland.

Ford Educates Consumers About Electrified Vehicles

Ford has developed a new website aimed at providing consumers with details of electrified vehicles:

•New Ford Web site, http://www.fordvehicles.com/technology/electric/, offers video, text and diagrams to help consumers understand differences in the technologies of electrified vehicles


•Electrification is an important piece of Ford’s overall sustainability strategy designed to deliver affordable fuel economy options for consumers

•Over the next two years, Ford will introduce the Transit Connect Electric, a small commercial van (2010), the Ford Focus Electric passenger car (2011), two next generation lithium ion battery powered hybrids (2012) and a plug-in hybrid (2012).

Read entire article here.
 
Learn more about Ford's electrified vehicles at Lakewood Fordland.

Ford to Provide Charging Stations to Some Electric Vehicle Owners

Ford has partnered with Coulomb Technologies to provide charging stations to some electric vehicle owners:

• Ford Motor Company is partnering with Coulomb Technologies to provide free in-home ChargePoint® Networked Charging Stations for some of the automaker’s first electric vehicle customers under the Ford Blue Oval ChargePoint Program.
• The Ford Blue Oval ChargePoint Program is part of Coulomb Technologies’ $37 million ChargePoint America charging station infrastructure project made possible by a grant funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act through the Transportation Electrification Initiative administered by the Department of Energy.
• Coulomb Technologies will begin installing nearly 5,000 home and public ChargePoint Networked Charging Stations under this program in Austin, Texas, Detroit, Los Angeles, New York, Orlando, Fla., Sacramento, Calif., the San Jose/San Francisco Bay Area, Redmond, Wash., and Washington D.C.

The Ford Blue Oval ChargePoint Program is part of Coulomb Technologies’ $37 million ChargePoint America charging station infrastructure project made possible by a $15 million grant funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act through the Transportation Electrification Initiative administered by the Department of Energy.

“Both the ChargePoint America and Ford Blue Oval ChargePoint Programs help build the necessary infrastructure to make the electric vehicle a more viable option for American consumers,” said Sue Cischke, global vice president, Sustainability, Environment and Safety Engineering, Ford Motor Company. “Ford’s electrification strategy focuses on providing real world value to customers with a range of driving behaviors and conditions. These programs and charging stations help us deliver an added value to our future electric vehicle owners.”

Ford plans to introduce five new electrified vehicles in North America by 2012, providing a range of products to meet a variety of customer needs. These include:

• A Transit Connect Electric small commercial van debuting later this year
• A Ford Focus Electric passenger car debuting in 2011
• Two next-generation lithium-ion battery hybrid-electric vehicles and a plug-in hybrid by 2012

Read entire article here.

Contact Lakewood Fordland for more information on Ford's electric vehicle options.

Ford and Microsoft Work Together on More Effective Recharging

Future owners of Ford's electric vehicles will be able to better manage their energy usage thanks to a new system developed by Ford and Microsoft:

• Ford and Microsoft are teaming up to use Microsoft Hohm as a platform to help future owners of Ford’s electric vehicles optimize the way they recharge their vehicle and better manage their home’s energy use
• Microsoft and Ford also will work with utilities and municipalities to help develop an energy ecosystem that manages energy usage as consumer demand for electric vehicles grows
• Ford’s aggressive electrification plan includes five new vehicles in North America and Europe by 2013; in North America, they include the Transit Connect Electric later this year, Focus Electric in 2011, a plug-in hybrid and two next-generation hybrids in 2012, joining four Ford and Mercury hybrids already on the road and a new Lincoln MKZ Hybrid coming this fall
• The Focus Electric is expected to be the first Ford electric vehicle to use Hohm

Read entire article here.

For more information on Ford's electric and hybrid vehicles, contact Lakewood Fordland.