Ford Focus Electric To Role Out In 19 U.S. Cities Late 2011

[jpak]

http://blogs.forbes.com/eco-nomics/2010/11/18/ford-focus-electric-to-role-out-in-19-u-s-cities-late-2011/?boxes=techchanneltopstories

Ford’s first all-electric, zero emissions vehicle, the Ford Focus Electric, will go on sale in late 2011. As is the case with the Chevy Volt and the Nissan Leaf, initial availability will be limited to certain markets. Ford has announced that the first wave of Ford Focus Electric sales will be made in 19 American cities.

In late 2011, customers in the following market will be eligible to purchase Ford’s first electric vehicle: Atlanta; Austin and Houston, Texas; Boston; Chicago; Denver, Colo.; Detroit; Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego, Calif.; New York, Orlando, Fla.; Phoenix and Tucson, Ariz.; Portland, Ore.; Raleigh Durham, N.C.; Richmond, Va.; Seattle’ and Washington, D.C.

The markets were chosen for several reasons including current hybrid purchasing trends, the acceptance of electric vehicle technology by local governments and the potential to collaborate with utility companies.

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he Ford Focus Electric will be powered by a 23 kWh lithium-ion battery with an estimated 100-mile range that can be recharged by both 120V and 240V power sources. Compact Power Inc, located in Holland, Mich., will manufacture the battery. The Focus Electric will be built alongside the standard Focus at the Michigan assembly plant.

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[jdlh8894]

1. How many miles will I get when---

Sitting in traffic
a) with the heater on
b) lights on
c) windshield wipers going
d) radio on

For an hour? I'm DEAD in the water!! Who is going to be able to charge these things to get them running!

[Iterate]

2. Then I suggest you focus on one of these:

All your boxes get checked, except you won't be waiting in traffic for an hour, and Saturdays will be free because you won't have to wash it.

[safeinOhio]

3. You may have a point, however,

sitting in traffic, not moving, in any car you get zero miles to a gallon.

[tinrobot]

4. Probably enough miles to get home.

Unless you work 80 miles away from your house, you should be fine.

[txlibdem]

5. False equivalencies

Your examples use very little power. The Ford Focus EV will have plenty of juice left.

Had you been driving a gasoline vehicle, however, you would have run out of gas and would need a tow. That's why Triple-A exists: because gasoline cars are unreliable.

[joshcryer]

7. Hah, I assure you that moving the car takes the vast overwhelming majorty of the energy.

You could leave the door open in your garage for a month and it'll still be powering the overhead light.

[txlibdem]

6. It did great on the Jay Leno show too

Peak Oil will determine if we will all be driving electric cars in the coming decades, we will ultimately have no choice in the matter. It's just a question of when.

I'm not buying another gasoline powered car, I'll tell you that.

[joshcryer]

8. Same, I've had old cars for years.

When I spend money for a new car it'll be either 1) an EV built by myself, or 2) a low cost EV if the price comes down.

[txlibdem]

9. Building your own EV

The costs are coming down for the DIYer as well and (most important) the battery management, monitoring and charge control add-ons are getting better. I've been trying to keep up with developments in BMS (battery management systems) and it seems to me that they are getting close to ready now.

Price is still a major deterrent but at least you can build a system with lithium ion batteries and have reasonable confidence of the batteries being reliable for a decade or more.

It would be fun to build your own EV, wouldn't it? I'd prefer to start with an older car, personally, not only because they tend to be lighter but there are a lot of popular and reliable models that you can pick up cheap. Not having to worry about the condition of the gas engine and associated crappola is so sweet, a perk.