Series production of the Ford Focus Electric has begun in Europe – the car is the first full-electric vehicle to be built by the company on the continent directly from a volume production line. Production takes place at the Blue Oval’s Saarlouis plant in Germany.
The Focus Electric – which was unveiled at the 2011 CES in Las Vegas and has been manufactured in the US since November 2011 – spearheads the company’s charge into the electrified and highly fuel-efficient vehicles arena in Europe. Joining it in the lineup next year is the C MAX Energi plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), and the all-new Mondeo Hybrid follows soon after.
Numbers include a 143 PS output from the electric drive motor and a top speed of 136 km/h. The Focus Electric is equipped with a 6.6 kW fully integrated onboard charger that can deliver around 100 km of driving range with two to three hours of charging (and around 150 km with three to four hours of charging) from a 32 ampere power supply.
There’s regenerative braking, as well as a Brake Coach feature, which encourages gradual braking to help return more energy to the battery. A SmartGauge interface calculates and displays range based on remaining energy and the use of accessories such as climate control/audio systems in addition to the driver’s unique vehicle use and through braking and acceleration inputs.
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Why are all electric cars not made by Tesla so underwhelming? 136 km/h top speed only? 150 km range?
top speed 136km/h is pathetic.
The front part looks….ugly.