Ford Focus Electric pictures – a plug-in EV that charges twice as fast as the Chevy Volt

By Jeffrey Van Camp November 17, 2011

Today, Ford is holding an event in New York City to show off its eco-friendly vehicle lineup and the centerpiece of the show is the new Ford Focus Electric. According to Ford, the new Focus has a better mile-per-gallon equivalent than the Chevrolet Volt and will be competitive with any other vehicle. As a completely gas-less, electric plug-in car, the Focus Electric has benefits and limitations. It comes with a charge inverter that can charge the car twice as fast as any other electric vehicle we’ve seen. Using the charging station, you can charge the car in 3-4 hours. More specifically, it can charge up to 6.6 Kilowatts per hour. The lithium ion battery pack holds about 23 Kilowatts of power, which should get you about 100 miles on a charge.

Most of the high-end Ford features come standard on the Electric due to its high price (about $40,000, though there’s a $7,500 government rebate for buying an electric car). MyFord Touch with Microsoft Sync, fancy seats made of recycled pop bottles, and a cool MyFord Mobile app that lets you monitor your charging and car from anywhere, are all included. Check out our hands-on video of the MyFord Mobile app.

The Focus Electric will hit shelves before the end of the year (sounds like December) and is the first of five Ford electric vehicles coming by 2013.

Topics

Jeffrey Van Camp

Former Digital Trends Contributor

As DT's Deputy Editor, Jeff helps oversee editorial operations at Digital Trends. Previously, he ran the site's…

Mobile

The 6 best car phone holders in 2024

Belkin BoostCharge Magnetic Wireless Car Charger with an iPhone 14 Pro.

Belkin BoostCharge Magnetic Wireless Car Charger Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Installing a car phone mount in your vehicle is the best way to make sure that you have easy access to your smartphone when behind the wheel. While you shouldn't be using your phone while driving, having it mounted on your windshield, dashboard, vent, or anywhere else will let you take a quick glance when you're using a navigation app, or to change your playlist when you stop for a traffic light, for example. Instead of having to pick up your device, it will be easier and faster to get these done while it's on a car phone mount for less time of having your eyes off the road.

Cars

Should you buy a used EV? Maybe, but it’s complicated

Electric cars are slowly but surely getting cheaper. Over the past year or so, Ford and Tesla have been discounting their most popular electric cars while other brands, like Rivian, are laying the groundwork for all-new cheaper models.

But you'd still be hard-pressed to call electric cars cheap, and buying a completely new car in the first place is a hurdle in and of itself for many potential buyers. According to Statista, used car sales represented around 74% of all car sales in 2022, and while this figure is likely to change as electric cars get cheaper, the fact remains that most car buyers would prefer to save cash and buy used rather than buy something new.
Buying a new car ain't what it used to be
Buying a car with an electric powertrain doesn't necessarily need to be all that different from buying an internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle. But there's a little more to it than that.

Cars

Rivian R2 vs. Ford Mustang Mach-E: Will the R2 be a better buy?

Side of the Rivian R2

The Rivian R2 has finally been announced, and it could end up being the go-to EV for drivers who want a decently affordable electric car with a rugged look and feel. But when it finally launches to the public, it won't be the only option in its price range -- the Ford Mustang Mach-E could be one of its main competitors.

The Mustang Mach-E may not be quite as rugged-feeling as the Rivian R2, but it does have a lot going for it -- like an increasingly low price, sleek design, and comfortable interior. Is one of these EVs better than the other? We put the two head-to-head to find out.
Design
The first thing to note about the two cars is their design, as they’re pretty different. The Rivian R2 is built to be a little more rugged and outdoorsy, while the Mach-E instead has a sleeker and sportier look to it. Both cars look stylish and modern.