NEW YORK – Ford's new Focus compact car isn't even on sale yet, but the automaker has revealed plans to add an electric version by the end of 2011. The Focus Electric is a pure, zero-emissions battery-powered car similar in concept to the recently launched Nissan Leaf.
Unlike the uniquely designed Leaf, the Focus Electric is nearly identical to the conventional version of the car, save for a slightly different front fascia and a charging input located behind the driver's side front fender, along with the requisite "Electric" logos. Five passengers will fit in an interior that is also largely unchanged, although part of the battery system encroaches on cargo space in the form of a large box behind the seats measuring about one foot high by one foot deep.
Ford says that the 23 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack developed with LG Chem can be fully charged in just 3-4 hours using a 240-volt outlet, about half of the time that it takes to fill up the one in a Leaf. The main difference between the two is that the Nissan pack is air-cooled while the Focus has a more complex, liquid cooled and heated system that facilitates the use of a higher wattage on board charging system, 6.6 kW vs 3.3 kW, without causing damage to the battery.
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