Test Car Shows Ford's Done the Necessary Work; Cost, Infrastructure Still Need Tune Ups By John O'Dell, Senior Editor Just got my first drive in one of Ford's prototype battery-electric Focus EVs, the culmunation of a short electrification program Ford and the Electric Power Research Institute held for the media in San Francisco this morning. It's great that Ford is pursuing the electric car path, with plans to have a retail Focus EV in the market in 2011, but a little depressing to hear – again – that we're talking about a $40,000 (guesstimate) Focus with 100 miles of range. Understood – EVs are going to be expensive at first, until growing volume helps car makers and parts suppliers achieve the economies of scale that brings costs down. But still worrisome to think that initial success – and first impressions by many in the media and on the street – are going to depend on the discount buyers will get with federal and in some areas regional tax credits and, probably more important, the ability of utilities and private providers to establish a useable public network of EV battery chargers. With the former, the Focus EV is likely to cost about the same as the post-credit Chevrolet Volt entended-range plug-in hybrid, or $32,500 – give or take a few. That won't inntiidate earlyadopters, but its a lot for the average car buyer, even with the substantial fuel and maintenance savings that come with an EV. Without the latter, the Focus and other EVs and PHEVS are kikely to languish at any price – doing duty only as second or third cars, spending lots of weekends in the garage and coming out only to make trips to the store or…
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First Drive: Ford Focus EV Prototype; Biggest Problems Aren’t Ford’s
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