Ford Focus EV

[doug]

Are those blue LEDs or just gaps between sets of white LEDs where the blue plastic ring isn't lit up?
(A little hard to tell from the photo.)

Meh... it's the right hue for (roughly) monochromatic GaN based blue LEDs. Probably look kinda white in the photo due to saturation of the camera sensor. The plastic ring is probably clear translucent.

Anyhow I'm asking about the different quadrants of the annulus that are sometimes lit or not (regardless of color). Are they supposed to indicate level of charge or what?

 

[AndrewBissell]

Yes. Level of charge is what they indicate.

From the press release included in http://i.green.autoblog.com/2011/01/07/2011-ford-focus-electric-ces-unveiled/

"When the cord set connector is plugged into the vehicle's charge port, which is conveniently located between the driver's door and front wheel well, it activates a light ring that loops around the port twice in acknowledgement of connectivity. The light ring then illuminates in quadrants as the vehicle charges. Flashing quadrants represent charge in progress and solid-lit quadrants show stages of charge completion. In the unlikely event of a fault, the entire ring will flash. When the entire ring is solidly lit, the vehicle is fully charged."

 

[doug]

Thanks Andrew!

 

[TEG]

I think he was just reiterating the answer I gave before (look back at the post before the EVSE pic.)

 

[vfx]

Ed Begley talking pot shots at other EVs

http://www.allcarselectric.com/blog...ds-electric-car-war-on-chevrolet-nissan-video

 

[Fr23shjive]

It's Tesla Motors the Bluestar dressed as a Ford Focus.

+1. I'll admit that's a cool looking car. Too bad its built like and ICE instead of an EV. I'd buy one if they had a range of at least 160 miles.

 

[dpeilow]

So if you arrive at a charge point and find that a Focus has finished charging, would it be bad form to pull the cord?

 

[tdelta1000]

+1. I'll admit that's a cool looking car. Too bad its built like and ICE instead of an EV. I'd buy one if they had a range of at least 160 miles.

Good point Fr23shjive...it is built like an ICE instead of an EV amd I think Ford missed on the range as well.

 

[tdelta1000]

So if you arrive at a charge point and find that a Focus has finished charging, would it be bad form to pull the cord?

Yeah, if going beyond the range of the cells.

 

[Jaff]

To me, ol' Ed's coming off as a tad bit hypocritical in this advert.

He's been on TV for years expounding a myriad of ways to make your house greener...no problem with this...however, a good part of his Ford boosting is relegated to more efficient gas engines, range extending ICEs in EV's, and hybrids...I kind of feel that someone who has been a quasi-spokesman for the environmental movement for a few years, is missing the point by endorsing anything but a pure EV...maybe it's just me...

Ed Begley talking pot shots at other EVs

http://www.allcarselectric.com/blog...ds-electric-car-war-on-chevrolet-nissan-video

 

[TEG]

Oof. It hurts to hear that, but:
#1: Good to see them using someone who knows how to 'walk the walk, talk the talk'.
#2: Good to see Ed getting a good paying 'gig'.
#3: Nissan does need a ribbing about the 3.3kW charger. I think they already plan to upgrade it to 6.6kW ASAP so Ford's window of opportunity is limited.
#4: Having enough competition to result in comparative marking seems like a good thing as a sign that the market is actually real and (ever so) slightly mature now.

But yeah, it would be nice to have them talk about the upsides of EVs compared to gas vehicles more, and not spend too much time pointing out issues with other EVs.

 

[MarkW]

I was kind of excited for the Focus, but it seems they made some pretty bad packaging decisions.

The white Model S rolling prototype used a Roadster drivetrain and battery pack thus blocking a lot of the storage in the rear compartment too. Perhaps Ford used a "borrowed" battery pack for their early Focus Electrics too? Hopefully the pack and packaging will improve before final production.


White Model S rolling prototype

 

[TEG]

The white Model S rolling prototype used a Roadster drivetrain and battery pack thus blocking a lot of the storage in the rear compartment too.

#1: I think you showed a picture of the silver (now repainted red) demo prototype, not the white "roller" which (I think) doesn't have any drive-train or battery.
#2: I don't think any Model S prototypes used a Roadster battery pack.
#3: I think the rear area cutout in the demonstration prototype was filled with prototype control electronics, not batteries.

 

[TEG]

http://www.allcarselectric.com/blog...ds-electric-car-war-on-chevrolet-nissan-video

... By Paul Scott #5, Posted: 1/10/2011
I wish the car companies wouldn't try to trash other EV makers, but I guess it's in their genes to do so. I know Ed, and he's a great guy. He drives a RAV4 EV and has being driving EVs for over 20 years. This is a paid gig for him, so he'll say what the marketing people tell him to say. I just wish they would compete against the real enemy, internal combustion, but then, Ford makes a lot of those...

 

[Jaff]

Hey, I agree with you TEG...Ed desrves a lot of credit as he's been a good representitive for the green initiative for a long time...and it is good to see Ed get what should be a well paying gig for himself.

I'm sure Ed had zero input into the script, make up & verbiage of the Ford commercial elsewise as you mentioned, it would have concentrated less on gassers & hybrids...I'm just picking nits I guess...

Oof. It hurts to hear that, but:
#1: Good to see them using someone who knows how to 'walk the walk, talk the talk'.
#2: Good to see Ed getting a good paying 'gig'.
#3: Nissan does need a ribbing about the 3.3kW charger. I think they already plan to upgrade it to 6.6kW ASAP so Ford's window of opportunity is limited.
#4: Having enough competition to result in comparative marking seems like a good thing as a sign that the market is actually real and (ever so) slightly mature now.

But yeah, it would be nice to have them talk about the upsides of EVs compared to gas vehicles more, and not spend too much time pointing out issues with other EVs.

 

[stopcrazypp]

The white Model S rolling prototype used a Roadster drivetrain and battery pack thus blocking a lot of the storage in the rear compartment too. Perhaps Ford used a "borrowed" battery pack for their early Focus Electrics too? Hopefully the pack and packaging will improve before final production.
White Model S rolling prototype

The rolling prototype didn't have a drivetrain (or even a finished interior). It was just a exterior styling exercise.
The drivable prototype had plenty of cargo space, better than pretty much all cars in its class.

However, I am also hoping the packaging will improve for the Focus EV before final production. It's not a lease-only prototype like the MINI-E, so there are no excuses.

 

[MarkW]

#1: I think you showed a picture of the silver (now repainted red) demo prototype, not the white "roller" which (I think) doesn't have any drive-train or battery.
#2: I don't think any Model S prototypes used a Roadster battery pack.
#3: I think the rear area cutout in the demonstration prototype was filled with prototype control electronics, not batteries.

#1 Right - this picture was of the hatch in the silver drivable prototype. The non-drivable white prototype was at Menlo Park the same day and other photos in the album show the white one.
#2 I don't know either. When I asked at the time whether the large box in back held a Roadster battery pack, an employee replied that they could not comment, however, it would be a fair guess.
#3 Ah, OK.

 

[dpeilow]

I thought a photo leaked out with a Roadster battery under the hood?

 

[TEG]

Could be, but I don't recall that. I never got a look under the front hood.
When I looked under, it did have a totally flat underside that could have been the bottom of a flat battery pack.

 

[Mycroft]

Q&A post on the Care2.com site.
Jul 25, 2011 Introducing the Electric Ford Focus by Jake Richardson

We are building the Focus Electric to look like and perform like a gas powered vehicle. Just because someone wants to drive an electric vehicle doesn’t mean they should sacrifice anything from amenities inside the vehicle to expectations of durability and safety. Our goal is to build an all electric vehicle that delivers the same driving enjoyment as any of our other vehicles

What is the real-world driving range on a single charge?

EPA certification on range for the Focus Electric won’t come out until closer to launch. However, we are targeting a range of up to 100 miles per charge.

Way to not answer the question. Love those wiggle words, "up to". So basically it's the same as the Leaf.

What is different about the Focus Electric?

• The new Focus Electric will offer an mpg equivalent better than Chevy Volt and competitive with other BEVs
• Focus Electric will charge in half the time of the Nissan Leaf, delivering the convenience of a 3 hour at home full charge time with a 240V outlet
• Through value charging, Focus Electric consumers can charge their vehicle at the cheapest utility rates, lowering the cost of ownership

Wow, more mpg than a Volt with a gasoline engine! Charges in half the time as the Leaf with it's standard 110v charger! Cool, delayed charging, nobody else is offering that!</sarcasm>

In other words, the EV Focus brings nothing else to the table except that it looks like an ICE car. That's not nothing. There are lots of people who won't buy the Leaf just because of the way it looks and at least they made 240v charging the default.