Is the electric Focus out of production?

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MZ5

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I read here that they were going to be halted back in May, but I haven’t figured out whether that happened.

I’m considering one for local errands, shuttling kids, etc in the Phoenix area. If I can take it to work sometimes, so much the better.

My commute is 75 miles round-trip, mostly at highway speeds, and it’s HOT here, so maybe even the ‘17 & ‘18 won’t quite cut it for me.

Has anyone experienced noticeable battery degradation in an electric Focus?
Has anyone used a Focus electric for long enough to need battery replacement? If so, how many miles did that take? Are you in a HOT climate like Phoenix?

Thoughts or experiences?
 
They are still selling them, though in small numbers -- last month they only sold seven. And, it's still on the Ford website.

They did cease production in Europe. Scrolling through the InsideEVs posts tagged with Ford+Focus, not seeing any reports of excessive battery degradation, which is a good sign.

Personally, I think the Chevy Bolt would be a much better choice. Or, if you can afford to wait a while, the Kia Niro EV or Kona Electric would also be decent choices.
 
Thanks for the reply. Essentially nobody around here has any pure EV in stock at any time. The Focus is something I'd hoped to maybe catch as they try to get rid of existing inventory, but since there _is_ no inventory here... (-:

I've found exactly one used '17 Focus in the very general area. I believe I'd like to stick with the '17 or '18 due to the larger battery pack. However, when I look at the _new_ Focus deal from Ford's financial arm ($2,500 rebate), and add in the federal tax subsidy, a used one is surprisingly little cheaper than a new one.

What makes you like the Bolt much better?

If I could find a Bolt I'd at least consider one, though I confess I've been distinctly unhappy with the durability (particularly electrical) of all the Chevys we've had in the fleets (work) for a lot of years now, so it's hard to want to look at one.
 
MZ5 said:
Thanks for the reply. Essentially nobody around here has any pure EV in stock at any time. The Focus is something I'd hoped to maybe catch as they try to get rid of existing inventory, but since there _is_ no inventory here... (-:

I've found exactly one used '17 Focus in the very general area. I believe I'd like to stick with the '17 or '18 due to the larger battery pack. However, when I look at the _new_ Focus deal from Ford's financial arm ($2,500 rebate), and add in the federal tax subsidy, a used one is surprisingly little cheaper than a new one.

What makes you like the Bolt much better?

If I could find a Bolt I'd at least consider one, though I confess I've been distinctly unhappy with the durability (particularly electrical) of all the Chevys we've had in the fleets (work) for a lot of years now, so it's hard to want to look at one.
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I believe the engineering of the Bolt drivetrain is much better than the Focus Electric. The Ford started with the gas-powered Focus chassis, that was never designed to be electric, and handed that to Magna to engineer the drivetrain.

The Bolt was built from the ground up to be an electric car. Its battery is in the floor (the Focus Electric battery is over the rear axle and impinges on trunk space) which gives it a lower center of gravity and improves handling characteristics and makes rollovers less likely in an accident. The Bolt also has a liquid-cooled 60 kWh battery which gives it a very comfortable 238-mile range, whereas the Focus EV has 115 miles of range.

The Bolt is also more efficient, needing only 28 kWh to travel 100 miles, while the Focus Electric needs 31 kWh.

Now, the Focus Electric may have better seats and I think most would say a better interior overall. It is probably also cheaper, though I think you could probably find a Bolt right around $30,000, despite its base MSRP being $36,620.
 
Interesting. Thanks for the reply.

What are the efficiency numbers you mention based on (I don’t know where to find them other than to search or ask here)? An actual driving test? Chassis dyno tests? User reported estimates? For our use, we’d want highway estimates mainly, or at least estimates bias pretty heavily toward highway use.

I wish there was data concerning A/C draw, since in my area that is a 9+ month proposition in a car. :-)
 
MZ5 said:
Interesting. Thanks for the reply.

What are the efficiency numbers you mention based on (I don’t know where to find them other than to search or ask here)? An actual driving test? Chassis dyno tests? User reported estimates? For our use, we’d want highway estimates mainly, or at least estimates bias pretty heavily toward highway use.

I wish there was data concerning A/C draw, since in my area that is a 9+ month proposition in a car. :)
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That's the EPA figure. If you click " Bolt is also more efficient," you'll go to the EPA site showing the two in comparison.
 
Huh. I never noticed the kWh/mi figure before. Thanks. Happily, EPA’s site lets me adjust that figure based on driving mix.
 
MZ5 said:
Thanks for the reply. Essentially nobody around here has any pure EV in stock at any time.
Click to expand...

I've read in more than one place, and I assume it's true, that Ford is making the Focus Electric only as a special order from a customer. So it's not surprising you can't find one in stock. Have you talked to your local Ford dealers about ordering one?

If you're looking for a good deal on one that's been sitting on a dealer lot for awhile... well, I will be surprised if you can find one. I suppose it's not impossible that someone might order one but then not buy it for one reason or another, but that would be a pretty rare event.
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My local Ford dealer was not only unhelpful, but deceptive.

The Focus is perhaps the only BEV that is economically feasible to me, and at that perhaps only with both the tax subsidy plus the Ford Credit rebate.
 
I drove a 2015 Focus in Fresno, CA for three years, so to answer your question about 75 miles with AC use... No it will not make it! In fact I wouldn't trust it for more than 50 miles on the highway with air conditioning. The heater was even worse. I learned to drive with only seat heat, no cabin. The design is also poor with a backseat only big enough for small children, and no hatch space due to the batteries. What little hatch there is isn't even flat, so grocery shopping was a challenge. Having said all of this I still loved my Focus! We went about 17,000 miles together until it randomly died on me. After months of frustration with a dealer who maintained nothing was wrong with it and continual engine shutdown, I decided it wasn't worth losing my life in. Ford eventually bought it back.
 
I had a 2013 and 2017 Focus Electric and I loved them both. They weren’t very powerful but they were responsive and fun to drive. I put 30k miles on the 2013 and 14k miles on the 2017.

The 2013 had 18% battery degradation when I got rid of it but the degradation appeared to have stabilized. I never did notice any battery degradation on the 2017. The 2017 had DC Fast Charging and I never experienced any battery overheating like I did with my 2018 Leaf.

The lack of Adaptive Cruise Control and the long distances between Electrify America chargers are what drove me out of the 2017 Focus Electric. If those things are not important to you I think you would be very happy with a Focus Electric. The rear seat is very configurable and I never did feel like the battery cargo space was a serious issue.
 
I had a 2013 and a 2017 Focus Electric that I got great deals on buying used. I put 30K miles on the 2013 and 7K miles on the 2017. I loved both of them and I would have kept the 2017 much longer if it had come with Adaptive Cruise Control like my 2015 Fusion Energi has.


Sent from my iPhone using Inside EVs
 
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