2012 Ford Focus Electric has been certified by the Environmental Protection Agency to offer 105 miles per gallon equivalent (MPGe) combined, with 110 MPGe city and 99 MPGe on the highway.
These ratings rank the Ford Focus Electric as the most fuel-efficient five-passenger vehicle, beating Nissan Leaf by 6 MPGe while offering more motor power and more standard features.
2012 Focus Electric bests Nissan Leaf in other ways, too – more passenger room and a faster charging system that allows for a full recharge in nearly half the time of Nissan Leaf.
The EPA-approved Focus Electric label also certifies that the car has a range of 76 miles on a single charge compared with the 73-mile range of the Leaf. The 2012 Focus Electric can be driven up to 100 miles on a single charge depending on driving habits. The average driver drives 29 miles a day, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics website.
The approved label also will say customers could save $9,700 in fuel costs over the course of five years compared with the average new vehicle. Comparative savings could go even higher if the current trend of rising gas prices continues. In California alone, the cost for a gallon of gas rose 20 cents in a seven-day period that ended last week.
The Focus line soon will be joined by the new 2013 Ford Fusion – aiming to be America’s most fuel-efficient gas- and hybrid-powered midsize sedans – to help create one of the industry’s most fuel-efficient car lineups. The Fusion Energi plug-in hybrid is projected to become the world’s most fuel-efficient midsize sedan by achieving more than 100 MPGe in electric mode.
Focus Electric features an advanced charging system that allows the car’s battery to fully recharge in four hours – nearly half the time of Nissan Leaf – using available 240-volt outlets that can be installed in residential garages.
Faster charging with 240 volts also can extend range as drivers can more quickly recharge between stops – up to 20 miles per charge hour – so they can significantly improve a car’s range during a busy day of driving by recharging multiple times.
To cut charging costs at home, a unique value charging feature powered by Microsoft is designed to help owners in the U.S. charge their vehicles at the cheapest utility rates, which can make charging the Focus Electric less costly than charging the Nissan Leaf.
Production of the Focus Electric began in December 2011 at Ford’s Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, Mich.
Ford will ramp up Focus Electric retail production in the first half of 2012 for dealership availability in California, New York and New Jersey. By the end of 2012, Focus Electric will be available in 19 markets across the U.S.
The Ford Focus Electric will start at $39,200 before state and federal incentives, excluding tax, license, registration, $795 destination charge and options.
