Ford Focus EV

My Nissan Leaf Forum

Help Support My Nissan Leaf Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Status
Not open for further replies.
Someone from Ford confirmed March 2012 with me on Friday last. I've seen this time frame quoted elsewhere, but it's not the first I've seen floated (and may not be the last), so make of it what you will.
 
Just to follow up on what I'd learned at the OC Auto Show. Myfocuselectric.com is also reporting a source quoting March 2012:

http://www.myfocuselectric.com/2012-ford-focus-electric-unofficially-delayed%E2%80%A6-again/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
 
evnow said:
TomT said:
Of course, nothing is as quiet as ... no car! :lol:
Yes - for someone launching an EV in the next 2 months, they have been awefully quiet.

+1

Prototype 'charge door' held together with velcro and tape (recent story, link can be provided); more announcements on EV's coming out AFTER the Focus EV (C-Max Energi); lot's of missed opportunities but if its not ready, its simply not ready -- Chicago now has a few Volts 'for sale' (not out of state 'used' ones) at Chevy dealers so even Chevy beat Ford to town (of course doing a quick search only came up with 4 within 100 miles but that's 4 more than Ford)
 
Will it end up making a difference that they have hooked up with Best Buy and the Geek Squad? Are the masses more comfortable with getting their hands held like this and could that be a competitive advantage over other EVs?
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QD-w1SptXio[/youtube]
 
IMHO, most Americans are not used to calling Electrical Contractors, never mind knowing who's a good one. I used the BBB's A+ rating to choose mine and been happy. But even AE's Turn-Key solution gets over this, so I disagree on the advantage Ford even if many Americans do use Best Buy and the Geek Squad.
 
scottf200 said:
Will it end up making a difference that they have hooked up with Best Buy and the Geek Squad? Are the masses more comfortable with getting their hands held like this and could that be a competitive advantage over other EVs?

only if they get their Butts to market!

Ford and Mitsu missed the boat taking so long......
 
scottf200 said:
Will it end up making a difference that they have hooked up with Best Buy and the Geek Squad? Are the masses more comfortable with getting their hands held like this and could that be a competitive advantage over other EVs?
Not if the BB Geek Squad is usually like the people I meet at BB. They seem to be only slightly more knowledgeable than the car salesmen.
 
According to the Facebook posting by Ford, FEV price will be announced (?) on 11/2.

Thank you for your question and interest in the Focus Electric! More details on vehicle ordering, the Build & Price shopping tool, and tax credit information will be available on 11/2.
 
Any clue on if orders will be placed through the web or dealers?

Also, article that discussed how Ford’s “Sync” option had increased customer complaints and depressed their J.D.Power quality numbers.

http://www.autoobserver.com/2011/07/consumers-expect-companies-to-get-it-right.html

I don’t see a lot of love for the CarWings system. Would Nissan and Ford be better off leaving the NAV/Connectivity to my smart phone which works, is cheaper, connected, portable, and upgradeable?
 
KeiJidosha said:
Any clue on if orders will be placed through the web or dealers?
I guess we will know on 2/11.

Also, article that discussed how Ford’s “Sync” option had increased customer complaints and depressed their J.D.Power quality numbers.

http://www.autoobserver.com/2011/07/consumers-expect-companies-to-get-it-right.html

I don’t see a lot of love for the CarWings system. Would Nissan and Ford be better off leaving the NAV/Connectivity to my smart phone which works, is cheaper, connected, portable, and upgradeable?
Can't compare problems with Carwings & problems with MySync. MySync apparently suddenly stops working when driving and you can't even listen to the radio or suddenly the volume goes high and you can't change it.

Here is a thread discussing the issues & reasons behind those issues. Essentially, Ford outsourced the development and it was done badly (just like Leaf's web software).

http://www.fordedgeforum.com/index.php?/topic/6240-2011-edgemkx-my-touch-and-sync-problems/page__st__520" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

BTW, all your smartphones won't do a thing (like charge the car or heat it) if the car can't talk to it. The basic piece of technology is connectivity.
 
evnow said:
BTW, all your smartphones won't do a thing (like charge the car or heat it) if the car can't talk to it. The basic piece of technology is connectivity.
You are correct, and many will want that connectivity (though I could easily do without it). It will be interesting to see take-up rate if it's an option.
 
evnow said:
According to the Facebook posting by Ford, FEV price will be announced (?) on 11/2.

Thank you for your question and interest in the Focus Electric! More details on vehicle ordering, the Build & Price shopping tool, and tax credit information will be available on 11/2.

Oh, good! Because my spreadsheet which compares the ICE version of a car to its electric in price pencils in $40,000 before the credit, so it'll be nice to be more accurate in an upcoming post I have for the Affordable Electric Car NOW! site.

I don't think a base-line Altima though is the correct LEAF comparison. I stand by a Nissan Versa hatchback. And I can only compare the Mini-E by lease since I can't find a MSRP for the 2009 model year (or any model year for that matter). You'd think in California, where IIRC you have a personal property tax on cars like we do here in Virginia, this would be important because the tax rate is set on MSRP, not the lease payment.

Which brings me to why I am looking at this 2.4 - 3.6 factor ratio: the tax on a LEAF in Fairfax County, the most populous county in Virginia, is based on the LEAF MSRP (without options), which for an SL is $37,250. Yes, this is before the $7,500 tax credit, but so is the basis of the car tax! Thus, the annual tax on the LEAF as it stands today in Fairfax County, VA is taxed at $1,062.53 for the first year where as the Versa is at $179.15!

Thus, I am working on an article and a proposal for the Fairfax County board of supervisors to take advantage of Virginia Code 58.1-3506(40) which allows a county to set a different tax rate for pure-battery-electric vehicles (no Volts) under the following 5-year plan:

  • 2012: $2.25 per $100
  • 2013: $2.50 per $100
  • 2014: $3.00 per $100
  • 2015: $4.00 per $100
  • 2016: $4.57 per $100, which is the current vehicle tax rate, or be it whatever the tax rate is at that time

This would be more than Loudoun County's $2.00 per $100 for electric vehicles, but as they are going up a dollar a year, in years 2013 - 2015 Fairfax is more lucrative. Don't tell my friend Stevens Miller that's my secret plan. Not so secret plan, obviously, since I'm making this public. :)
 
TimeHorse said:
Oh, good! Because my spreadsheet which compares the ICE version of a car to its electric in price pencils in $40,000 before the credit, so it'll be nice to be more accurate in an upcoming post I have for the Affordable Electric Car NOW! site.

I've a poll to "guess" FEV price. Take a look.

Thus, I am working on an article and a proposal for the Fairfax County board of supervisors to take advantage of Virginia Code 58.1-3506(40) which allows a county to set a different tax rate for pure-battery-electric vehicles (no Volts) under the following 5-year plan:

Do you have an Electric Association in your area ? If not make one - and you will get a bigger voice in such matters.
 
evnow said:
Do you have an Electric Association in your area ? If not make one - and you will get a bigger voice in such matters.

Oh, good lord! If only. They laugh and chide me when I point out that Hybrids can use HOV in Virginia but Electric Cars can only use HOV on a Toll Road (actually, when put in those terms, they get what makes me angry). And most of them live in Maryland and could care less about 'Ginny politics, though I'm a bit mean some times too. :) I do love what Maryland's doing with the HOV sticker and the $2000 credit on the EVSE (IIRC). Dominion Virginia Power is more proactive than the Virginia General Assembly but in Maryland they have to go top-down to get TOU rates for EVs. We do have the law I quoted so the General Assembly did their part, but Fairfax got it's head up it's ass on this issue. Oh, I'm gonna argue hard; many points I can make!

But yeah, I love the EVA/DC and the national EAA! But like I said, they're very Maryland-centric so trying to get them to notice these issues south of the Potomac is at times rather trying. But at least they're closer than the Renewable Energy & EVA, DIY Project Club (though they might be able to help on the HOV issue) and thus the EVA/DC is my best bet. But I need to write the advocacy piece and fortunately my site does get interested traffic and even the dealerships should have a say in this. Just need to put fingers to keys and write it up like I did the HOV issue.
 
We do this comparison often - so I thought I'll checkout how much a Focus ICE costs (equipped with Nav) : 23,780 i.e. 5,000 less than base Leaf (after tax credit).
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top