While Nissan and GM seem to be getting the majority of the electric vehicle attention recently with the Leaf and the Volt both slated to begin reaching consumers in only a couple of months, Ford is getting its own electric vehicle ready for rollout. The Focus Electric, which is due in early 2011, will be a Ford Focus with a battery electric system and roughly 100 mile range.
The Focus Electric may be seen as a more direct competitor to the Leaf, since both are solely electric vehicles. But, unlike Nissan, Ford's forthcoming Focus Electric uses a liquid system for both cooling and heating the lithium-ion battery pack. Thermal regulation of batteries is important for the performance, reliability, safety and durability of the system. The car's energy management will also activate the system when it is needed for battery charging. If the battery is not at the proper temerature to be charged, the thermal management system will bring the batteries to the correct temperature before beginning to charge them, helping to ensure a longer life for the battery system.
The Ford strategy is different from its competitors, with the company offering an electric drive option of the same vehicle that it offers with a conventional gas engine. The 2011 Focus Electric is a Ford Focus with electric drive, rather than a separate and unique model of car. This gives the company flexibility from a manufacturing standpoint, but it doesn't draw as much attention to the company because the electric model looks like the conventional vehicles. Would there be nearly as much buzz if the Nissan Leaf was instead an electric drive Altima?
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written by jmilsted, September 20, 2010
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written by beforewisdom, September 20, 2010
The original Prius looked like a regular car and ugly. Toyota decided that "smug appeal" was a draw and made the next Priuses their know egg shell shape.
However, it came to bite them in the ass in an unexpected way. Rear window visibility was compromised. Many people do not like that and chose to buy something else ( myself included ).
Personally, with cars like the Honda Element on the road I am willing to sacrifice some mileage and aerodynamic efficiency for basic visibility.
I can learn to use the camera, but I have been driving so long that sooner or later old habits of going to look...and getting nervous if I can see......will come out.
There will be a market for new technology cars that look and feel like conventional cars.
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written by Doc Rings, September 21, 2010
We won't "run out" of oil in any of our lifetimes, with oil shale. Yes, it will be expensive, and come at an environmental price, but we won't "run out".
That being said, I'm all about PHEV, and range-extended electric vehicles. That will be my next car purchase when my 26mpg Lexus bites the dust (still going strong, though, at 250,000 miles). Sometimes the greenest car is to just keep drivin' what ya got, and avoid the manufacturing carbon costs of a new vehicle, until the old one just can't go on.
Cheers,
Doc
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written by IT Rush, September 21, 2010
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written by oneStarman, September 24, 2010
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written by kabelo joseph thomas, September 24, 2010
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written by J Paul, September 24, 2010
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written by J. Marshall, September 28, 2010
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written by Charles Davis, May 26, 2011
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