2012 Ford Focus Electric Overview Change Vehicle

This 2012 Ford Focus Electric review explains changes for the model year, provides a summary of the 2012 Focus Electric, and includes Ford Focus Electric safety, reliability, and fuel economy information.

The 2012 Ford Focus Electric is the first electric car that Ford has ever built, but it won’t be the last. This five-door hatchback can carry five people, and costs $39,995. A federal tax credit of $7,500 is available for this vehicle, and some states may offer additional incentives to buy a Focus Electric.

Based on the Ford Focus Hatchback, the new Focus Electric has a completely different powertrain, special technology specific to this model, revised front styling, and unique aluminum wheels. It comes with everything standard. The only option is leather upholstery.

Ford sells just one version of the Focus Electric, and it comes with everything available for this model except for optional leather seats. Highlights from the standard features list include Intelligent Access keyless entry and push-button starting, a voice-activated navigation system, reverse parking sensors and a reversing camera, and a Sony premium audio system with satellite radio, HD Radio, and iTunes tagging capability.

Ford’s MyFord Touch system is also standard, and includes features specific to the Focus Electric. Special MyFord Mobile smartphone applications allow the Focus Electric’s owner to precondition the electric powertrain to maximize range on hot and cold days, remotely check vehicle status, receive charging alerts, remotely start or lock and unlock the car, and locate the vehicle via GPS.

The Ford Focus Electric rides on 15-spoke, 17-inch aluminum wheels. Twin 4.2-inch configurable information screen flank a centrally-located speedometer in the gauge cluster, and the Focus Electric also includes rain-sensing wipers, a 60/40-split rear bench seat, Piano Black interior trim, and a rear spoiler.

The Ford Focus Electric never needs gas, and it never needs an oil change. A pure electric vehicle, the Focus Electric is equipped with a permanent magnet electric motor powered by a rechargeable 23 kWh lithium-ion battery pack. Four-wheel-disc regenerative brakes capture up to 90 percent of otherwise lost kinetic energy and feed it back to the batteries, and a single-speed transmission delivers the powertrain’s 141 horsepower and 188 pound-feet of torque to the Focus Electric’s front wheels.

Ford says the Focus Electric can go 76 miles on a single charge, and claims that the EPA gives the car a 105 MPGe rating in combined driving. Top speed is 84 mph.

If you use the standard 120-volt convenience cord and charge the car using a standard household outlet, it will take 20 hours to fully juice the battery. That’s why you should seriously consider the available 240-volt charging station, which tops off the battery pack in four hours or less.

The 2012 Ford Focus Electric is equipped with six airbags, a traction and stability control system, and four-wheel-disc antilock brakes. Owners can program certain vehicle settings using the standard MyKey system, which allows for pre-set speed warning chimes and speed limits, stereo volume limits, seatbelt usage alerts, and other features.

The Focus Electric is also equipped with Sync hands-free connectivity, which includes 911 Assist. As long as a smartphone is paired to the Sync system, 911 Assist activates when the airbags deploy. A live operator attempts to communicate with the car’s occupants, and even if nobody can respond, the operator can send rescue personnel to the Focus Electric’s exact location.

Given the Focus Electric’s modified front styling and unique powertrain, it is unclear whether the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) or the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) account for the changes in their Focus Hatchback crash-test ratings. That said, a standard Focus 5-Door gets a 4-Star overall rating from the NHTSA and a Top Safety Pick rating from the IIHS.

As you would expect given the new powertrain, reliability predictions are not available for the new Focus Electric.

The Focus Electric’s gauge cluster displays how much surplus range the car has beyond the planned recharge point. To visually communicate this information, Ford uses blue butterflies. The more butterflies shown on the display, the more range there is. Designers claim to have been inspired by “the butterfly effect” phenomenon, in which one small change – like driving an electric car – can have enormous impact.

EcoRoute technology is part of the Focus Electric’s standard navigation system, and it calculates the best route to take to maximize battery range.

Ford says the Focus Electric’s steering, handling, and brakes are shared with the standard Focus, prompting the automaker to call the Focus Electric a “driver’s car.”

Bio-foam seat cushions made from plant seed oils and seat fabric made from recycled materials give the Focus Electric’s cabin extra green-cred.

If you opt for the 240-volt home recharging station, the Best Buy “Geek Squad” will install it.

When charging, light rings around the Focus Electric’s charge port illuminate in quadrants as the battery is replenished. A fully lit ring indicates a fully charged battery.

Microsoft-powered “value charging” software allows the Focus Electric’s owner to program off-peak recharging to take advantage of less expensive electricity rates.

The 2012 Ford Focus Electric weighs 3,624 pounds.

When you buy a Ford Focus Electric, the federal government gives you a $7,500 federal tax credit. If you live in California, the state gives you an additional $2,500 tax credit, as well as a free pass to use the High Occupancy Vehicle lanes even if there’s just a driver aboard the car. That’s $10,000 off and a shorter commute. Nice.

The 2012 Ford Focus Electric is built in Wayne, Michigan, in an assembly plant with one of the largest solar energy generators in the state.

Yes, the Ford Focus Electric is expensive. Now, pick your jaw up off the ground, take the $7,500 federal tax rebate into consideration, think about the fact that the Focus Electric includes everything except leather as standard equipment, and remember that the average vehicle sold in the U.S. wears a price tag nearing $30,000. Now, doesn’t that put things into perspective?

By Christian Wardlaw