The new Ford Focus Electric joins the lineup of the popular hatchback int he British market, offering a zero-emission car with the same practicality and features as the normal models. The Focus Electric is priced at £33,500, but it can be yours for £28,500, after applying the 5 grand government grant for plug-in cars.
Fords Focus Electric features an advanced electric motor and lithium-ion battery powertrain that produces 142PS. It is not that fast – top speed is only 85 mph – but you won’t be holding people up either. Actually, the chances of yourself getting held up is far greater, as the car has a range of only 100 miles.
And woe betide the man who runs out of juice in a Ford Focus Electric. Plugged to a 240 volt/10 amp grid connection, it takes10 to 11 hours to recharge. Fast charging stations can complete the task in four hours, which is still agonizingly long.
If you are not fixated on an electric car, Ford also offers 1.0-litre EcoBoost petrol and 1.6-litre Duratorq diesel versions of the Focus that are hugely economical. The ECOnetic model powered by a Dagenham-built 1.6-litre TDCi diesel engine delivers 83mpg and 88g/km, and the 1.0-litre EcoBoost 100PS does 99g/km and 67.5mpg.
Next year they will launch the Mondeo Hybrid, reinforcing their lineup of green family cars in Britain. That car is capable of 64mpg and CO2 emissions below 99g/km.
