Ford Focus Electric Vehicles will go into production later this year

The Focus Electric is expected to go up to 100 miles on a full charge, which will take three to four hours using a 240-volt outlet. That is half the time it takes to charge the Nissan Leaf, another electric vehicle which went on sale last month. The Focus Electric car uses lithium-ion battery technology for zero CO2-emmisions.

The automaker says the Focus can be fully charged in three to four hours using a 240-volt outlet. That’s half the time it takes to charge the Nissan Leaf, a competitor that went on sale last month. Ford also said its fuel efficiency numbers will be competitive with the Leaf. Late last year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimated the Leaf would get the equivalent of 106 miles per gallon in city driving and 92 miles per gallon on the highway. The EPA determined the figures by estimating it will cost $561 per year in electricity to charge the car.

The Ford Focus Electric was introduced to the public at the 2010 Los Angeles Auto Show, and Ford announced today that it will go on sale in North America by the end of 2011. The Focus Electric is Ford’s first battery-powered electric vehicle for consumer use. Ford said they plan to introduce four other electric vehicles in North America over the next two years.

"There is a great deal of excitement for the Focus Electric across America and Ford wants to build on this enthusiasm by making our first all electric passenger vehicle available in as many pilot markets as possible," said Mark Fields, President of the Americas, Ford Motor Company. "This is the first step in rolling out the Focus Electric.”

The Ford Focus Electric will be available in 19 select markets across the U.S. Although the local Omaha, Nebraska market was not chosen, we could see the Focus Electric in the near future. Pricing wasn’t announced. The Leaf starts at $32,780, but it is eligible for a $7,500 federal tax credit that drops the price to $25,780.

“As the country continues to build up its electric vehicle infrastructure and demand for the Focus Electric grows, Ford will continue to evaluate additional markets and consider making this vehicle available in more cities across the country,” said Fields. Ford introduced MyFord Mobile at the Consumer Electronics Show today, and Baxter Ford is excited for the technology to make its way to Nebraska.

At the Consumer Electrics Show in Las Vegas, Ford announced that it will offer an application that will give owners the ability to control the recharging process of the new battery-powered Focus Electric car from their smart phones. The application will be called MyFord Mobile, and Baxter Ford looks forward to the technology coming to the Nebraska market.

Ford says they believe the technology will be popular because those interested in electric cars are consumers also interested in technology and reducing their own energy usage. MyFord Mobile allows users to view the charging status of the Focus Electric, start or stop the charging process, locate the closest charging station and view the overall health of the vehicle’s lithium-ion battery. The multi-screen application will be free for the first five years.

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