Ford Focus Electric: Is It the Right Car for You?

If nothing else, the Ford Focus Electric is intriguing. It’s a car that doesn’t dwell on its output power, carrying capacity or chichi styling. After all, it runs on a 23 kWh liquid-cooled/heated lithium ion battery and can be recharged using a standard 120V household power outlet.

Prior to picking up this all-new, all-electric version of the ever-popular Ford Focus, while I was intrigued, I was also somewhat skeptical. Could my love for stiff European handling be satisfied by an electric powertrain? Could my propensity to prefer the friendly cockpit design of many Japanese automakers be fulfilled by the Michigan manufactured machine? Would I miss the grunt of an internal combustion engine as it roars into high gear?

In brief – there were elements of the classic car that I missed, new features that were a delight, and others that I know are destined to improve. After four days behind the wheel I felt that it was less of a question of what was right or wrong with the Ford Focus Electric, but who was right or wrong for the Ford Focus Electric.

The thing is deathly quiet at startup. A couple times I even found myself unsure of whether I’d engaged the engine, or simply just the internal power. Magically enough, that sweet silence never ceased. Both on city streets and the major highways, the Focus Electric was undoubtedly the quietest car I’d ever driven. If only the low end of the Sony sound system packed a littler more punch, or the MicrosoftSYNC system let me play my USB loaded tunes, I would have had all the noise I ever wanted.

The Focus Electric claims to hold up to 110 km worth of highway charge, however I could never seem to get it above 88 km after plugging it in – a process that can take up to 18-20 hours on a 120V system. (The Leviton 240V charging station starts at $849 before taxes and installation, and can complete a charge in roughly 4 hours). This is the first con that became apparent to me. Pushing its high rpm, single-speed transmission was glorious. No more nail-biting passes or laggy automatic shifts – the Focus Electric responds when you want it to… and when you don’t. At high speeds or sustained points of acceleration the kilometers drop off the blue-hued dash monitor at an alarming pace. A 2 km drive can cost you over 10 km worth of charge depending on how you drive it.

Ford’s regenerative braking system – used in its full line of hybrid and electric vehicles –will save you precious kicks. It’s what makes this car excellent for the city dweller, and anxiety inducing for the highway hero. Simulating the engine braking of internal combustion engines, the regenerative breaking system recovers some of the energy of the motion and stores it in the battery to improve fuel economy. Basically, the car capitalizes on stop and go traffic, but falters in a fast paced highway jaunt.

While I received range anxiety for the first time in my life, (if you’re a chronic golfer or a lover of the long weekend roadtrip this car ain’t for you – not to mention the limited cargo space) I found that the drive was more thrilling than expected. The driver’s seat was comfortable and sporty, the steering was responsive, and the acceleration was unhampered.

With charging stations running at a couple dollars an hour and located across the core of the GTA, the Ford Focus Electric makes for an excellent second car for the environmentally and economically conscious city dweller. It starts at just over $35,000, and with the ability to refuel in your garage at the end of the evening and the green tax credits, downtowners likely won’t feel the pocket pinch.

Environmentally speaking, it’s like driving on a cloud… though clouds probably have far more pollutants. Its electric design is not just quiet and comfortable, but produces zero carbon emissions. Many of the car parts are also made from recycled materials (like the cloth upholstery) or plant fibers and oils (the seat cushions), and the battery is fully recyclable.

While it may not be the ideal ride for me at this point in my life, a week behind the wheel of the Ford Focus Electric foreshadowed the future with far less petroleum-fueled vehicles. Our roads will be quieter and our air will be cleaner. And when range and recharge times begin to regulate themselves, I might just be partial to putting my pennies towards an electric car of my own.