Who's considering the Focus Electric?

[Rogerschro]

Originally Posted by tzuanich

Electric Energy does exists naturally, it usually is converted from another source, usually natural gas or fossil fuel. Electric Car gives you the most independence because you use multiple fuels to power it. You can plug it into a gas generator if you want use gas, you connect to a solar array or you get it straight from Edison if you like. A Gasoline Car is solely dependent on GAS, that is why the cartels can charge what the market will bear.

This is a very good point worth saying. With Electric you DO get options on energy sources. As the technology progresses we will have solar, wind and other potential ways of generating energy to charge our cars. With solar in particular, the costs of generating energy will be much less. If we get solar panels for the home, we save long term on electric costs and can charge our cars with it, reducing dependence on big oil, or big energy and promoting independence, and isn't that what we want? It will be a win, win scenario.

[Rogerschro]

I'm half way there to an electric car. I just bought a C-max Hybrid. Time will tell on how it goes but it sure is a nice car. If it does even half as well as I hope, I'll be looking for the electric Focus in a few years time....Till then, I have my SEL and the hybrid to compare performance and maintenance issues with.

[jmbarbera]

I hope you got the plug-in Energi version of the C-MAX. Whether you can do a pure EV or a PHEV, it's about electrifying the routine, daily household miles, even if your electricity is coal powered. Your car is the largest household energy consumer and it's horribly inefficient if gasoline powered. Battery development is not to the point where a pure EV can replace a gas car, but it really doesn't matter. My Focus Electric is a second car. We have a Honda Odyssey for trips to Wally World. We didn't need two cars with 300 mile range so the Focus Electric works well for us.

I drove the C-MAX Energi and it was great, but it just wasn't big enough to replace our cavernous van which can carry 4 people, all their gear, and 4 bikes inside. I hope larger PHEV's become available that can do both soccer mom duty (all electric) and road trip duty (on gas). A PHEV Flex would be perfect.

With the introduction of the Fusion Energi PHEV, Ford will be the only car manufacturer offering three plug-in models. Hats off to them for offering so many choices.

Again, all electric cars don't work for everyone, but it's great to finally have a choice of fuels, breaking the choke hold oil has had on us.

I love my Focus Electric (over 9k miles) and recommend it highly. Price reductions and attractive lease offers make it a very reasonable buy. It's too bad that Ford does not advertise it at all. They might sell more if people even knew they existed.

[chris65]

Focus EV horror story:
In my first month with the car it has been in for servicing twice and its going back today for its third visit.

On March 5 (the 29th day that I owned the car) I got a message 7 times that said "Pull Over Safely" Once I stopped the car would shut down for anywhere from 1 to 15 minutes. At times it would happen as I am stopping at a stop sign or stop light so I wasn't able to pull to the side of the road.

This has happened about 12 times total in the first month with the car. Ford can't fix it.

Don't buy this car until they have the problem fixed.

[Rogerschro]

Originally Posted by chris65

Focus EV horror story:
In my first month with the car it has been in for servicing twice and its going back today for its third visit.

On March 5 (the 29th day that I owned the car) I got a message 7 times that said "Pull Over Safely" Once I stopped the car would shut down for anywhere from 1 to 15 minutes. At times it would happen as I am stopping at a stop sign or stop light so I wasn't able to pull to the side of the road.

This has happened about 12 times total in the first month with the car. Ford can't fix it.

Don't buy this car until they have the problem fixed.

Sorry to hear your having such problems with your car, I hope they get it resolved soon. I am thinking of trading to an Electric Focus in about two or three years.