Ford Escape SUV

Ford Escape SUV

The new Ford Focus is due out at the end of next year. It will be the first all new Focus in nearly a decade and many avid fans are eagerly awaiting the arrival. But its not the Focus that is drawing all of the attention. Many people show more interest in the electric version of the Focus that is slated to reach our market by 2012. The Focus BEV, short for battery electric vehicle, uses an advanced power train and relies on electric power for its motivation.

Currently, the Focus BEV is in prototype form and testing is underway. There have been several reviews and test drives posted so far and driving impressions will be listed later on in this article.

Ford has drawn praise from its current lineup of hybrid vehicles. The Ford Fusion Hybrid and its twin the Mercury Milan Hybrid achieve exceptional gas mileage and provide strong performance at a modest price. Further, the Escape Hybrid is one of the best selling SUV hybrids on the market and its power train was selected by Wards Auto as one of the 10 Best Engines of 2009. It comes as no surprise as Ford takes it one step further with the new Focus BEV.

Differences between hybrids and BEV are numerous. Hybrids employ a typical gasoline engine with electric motors that are powered by battery systems. The batteries are charged through regenerative braking and the gasoline engine usage. BEVs on the other hand do not employ a gasoline engine. They rely on electric motors and large battery packs for motivation. The system is charged by being plugged into an electrical outlet. Many have a range of about 100 miles between charges and do not use a drop of gas to operate.

Now back to the Focus BEV. The Focus BEV operates solely on battery and electric power. Specifics about range could change before production, but it is expected to deliver 100 miles on a single charge. Several prototype test drives have been conducted and nearly every reviewers has walked away thoroughly impressed. Some points of interest from the test drive include nearly silent operation, a seamless supply of power upon acceleration, more than ample acceleration capability, and impressive driving dynamics. Reviewers were thoroughly impressed with the build quality and stated that the vehicle appeared to be production ready in nearly every way.

At this time, the prototypes still wear the old Focus exterior, but have the drive train of the 2012 Focus BEV underneath.

Electric vehicles provide endless efficiency provided you can find a place to charge it up when the batteries become depleted. Most commuters do not travel over 100 miles in a day and the Focus BEV could make your commute a commute that doesn't require one single drop of gas.