GM’s decision to boost the Chevy Bolt’s range enough to get a 238-mile EPA rating may have come as quite a surprise to some of us, but we shouldn’t be holding our breath waiting for other manufacturers to do the same from the looks of it. Ford will apparently be sticking with the previously revealed ~100 mile range for the new model year of the Ford Focus Electric.
What does that mean exactly? The choice is between a 238-mile Chevy Bolt for $37,395 or a Ford Focus Electric for ~$30,000, so you tell me. I’m guessing that Ford isn’t really looking to sell many of the model at this point … as if it ever was.
As reported by Automotive News, there have only been 579 Focus Electrics sold in the US so far in 2016, a year-on-year decline (as compared to 2015) of around 48%. It appears that consumers have caught on that perhaps it’s better to wait for the long-range electric vehicles (EVs) that will begin hitting the market late this year and through the next few.
“A faster charger will replenish 80 percent of the battery in 30 minutes, two hours faster than now,” Automotive News adds.
The faster charging times are certainly welcome, but with a range of only 100 miles per full charge, how practical is the model for most people. Considering that the pricing isn’t that much different than for several much more compelling EV models, I can’t see why anyone would go with the Focus Electric at this point other than brand loyalty.
That said, Ford recently indicated it is moving away from the compliance car game and will try to be an actual leader in EVs, targeting the truck and SUV segments it does quite well in generally.
There’s also word that the “Ford Model E” will actually be a range of plug-in vehicles models.
Remember, also, that Ford is putting a significant $4.5 billion into EVs in a variety of ways, per an announcement at the end of 2015.
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