Ford Focus Electric (2011): Blue Oval's new BEV

This is the new Ford Focus Electric, just unveiled at CES 2011, the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The Ford Focus Electric will become the first electric production car from Ford, and the first of five electric or electrified (hybrid) vehicles that Ford will put on sale in North America and Europe by 2013.

Ford hasn't released every single detail yet, as it unveiled the Focus Electric at the CES to highlight the technology which allows drivers to find charging stations, set their car to charge when the electricity is at its cheapest, and remotely access their cars. This is a techno geek electronics show, after all.

But we know the Focus Electric has an electric motor, a liquid cooled/heated lithium-ion battery pack, a single-speed transmission and a top speed of 84mph. Ford is also promising that the Focus Electric will, more than any other electric vehicle on sale, maintain the driving experience of a conventional internal combustion engine car. That's some claim.

Ford claims the Focus Electric will offer an extra (US) mile-per-gallon equivalent than the Volt in the official consumption test. Ford also claims that the EV Focus can charge in 3-4 hours on a 240v system, half the time of the Nissan Leaf. And it uses a charging system courtesy of Microsoft, which Ford says helps US owners charge their cars at the cheapest rate.

However, while a 120v cord comes with the Focus Electric, you’ll have to pay extra for the 240v wall-mounted charge station – think of it as an option box you need to tick.

Inside the Focus Electric features a new version of the company’s MyFord Touch infotainment system, which uses the new MyFord Mobile smartphone app and website to allow owners to adjust their vehicle's functions and check the state of charge when they’re not near the car.

At the end of each journey, the Focus Electric will also display information that will show the number of miles gained through regenerative braking and the savings compared with a petrol car.

The Focus Electric will be launched in late 2011, and the Focus Electric will be built at Ford’s Michigan plant alongside the conventional petrol variants for the North American market.

The Focus Electric will also come to Europe, but Ford is currently deciding where it will build the car.

By Ben Pulman