Reference Auto

Ford hadn’t really managed to gain first-mover advantage in electric vehicles or EVs when the car maker recently unveiled the Focus Electric, an electric car that it vows will be fun to drive. Despite not being the first player, can it still charge up the EV market?

After launch of the Nissan Leaf and Chevrolet Volt, Ford will have to offer something extra (may be in the form of a technological breakthrough) to see its EV make an impact in the Western markets, which will be the first to witness a slew of EV rollouts, owing to stringent emission laws and a newly-found fad for non-gasoline vehicles.

Focus Electric, which was showcased at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, is “a dynamic driver’s car,” according to the car maker.

Focus Electric, which will go on sale from the end of this year, can go up to a speed of 84 miles per hour.

The car will probably allow a drive of up to 100 miles on a single charge, which is almost similar to the Nissan Leaf.

This recharging at such short distances has become a major bottleneck in EV technology. After all, an EV owner will not want to stop his car to recharge after just 100 miles.

EV buyers would want a technology breakthrough to allow them to go on longer drives. So far as this issue is concerned, the Focus Electric does not offer anything new compared to its rival cars.

But there is one aspect where the Ford Focus Electric scores over the Nissan Leaf - the Ford Focus can recharge fully in nearly three hours from a 240-volt charging station. Well, that’s about twice as fast as the Leaf.

The Focus Electric will have a central navigation display, which will also show how far the car can be driven before a recharge. And there’s something new on offer. The navigation system can also show an “eco-route” during a journey, a route that will maximize efficiency. Ford is yet to announce the price of the Focus Electric which could be in the $20,000-$30,000 range.

The car will comprise mobile apps to let drivers check the battery charge, who will be informed when charging is over.

Besides the Focus Electric, Ford is also contemplating rolling out a plug-in hybrid vehicle that runs on both gasoline and electricity - around 2012. This move to offer a tech mix across different variants could actually help the US carmaker see buyers flock for its new generation vehicles.

Many Ford employees as well as auto experts are of the opinion that EVs will not stay here for a year or two but for almost three to four decades and a car maker offering unique features along with an eclectic mix of technology will rule the market. They feel customers will wait for the technology to evolve.

Ford’s brand visibility is more than Nissan’s (maker of the Leaf) and on par with the Chevrolet (Volt). So, by adding unique features along with a technology mix allowing more choice (say a hybrid vehicle along with a gasoline variant and an EV), Ford could become a formidable player in new generation cars, mainly in EVs with the Focus Electric.