BEV Focus offers an electrified difference.

The Ford Focus Electric will be going on sale in late 2011, the latest and perhaps the most intriguing model in the compact Focus model range. Powered by a permanent magnetic electric traction motor developed by LG Chem, this lithium-ion battery pack achieves 123 horsepower and 181 foot-pounds of torque. The electrified 5-door hatchback is being built at the Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, Michigan.

Although not yet available for sale, there are some things about the Focus Electric we already know. For one, the Escort EV is expected to get a better mile per gallon range than the Chevrolet Volt. It will be able to recharge in 3 to 4 hours, which is half the time of the Nissan LEAF, with its 240-volt charge station. Top speed is 84 miles per hour and pure electric range should beat the LEAF’s projected 90 miles.

MyFord Touch

New features and technologies will be introduced by the Focus EV including a customized version of the MyFord Touch driver connect system, designed especially for electric vehicles, an innovative value charging feature powered by Microsoft and a tech-pleasing smartphone app called MyFord Mobile that helps plug-in owners control their vehicles from a distance.

Ford has placed five-way buttons on the Focus’ steering wheel, which allows the driver to customize a pair of 4.2-inch LCD instrument cluster screens showing battery charge status, distance to the next charging station and other operating and technical features. This information enables the driver to keep track of how he drives, ideal for the person who want to maximize range and efficiency by changing driving behavior accordingly.

Suspension & Braking

The BEV Focus incorporates a front independent MacPherson strut suspension and rear control blade multilink independent system. Electric power assisted steering, power-assisted four-wheel disc brakes with four-sensor, four-channel anti-lock braking system, disc brakes and regenerative braking are some of the important features found in the electric Focus.

The electric Focus sits on a 104.3 inch wheelbase and has a length of 171.7 inches. This vehicle is 72.4 inches wide and 58.9 inches tall. Seating five passengers, this Focus offers a 60/40 split rear bench seat, 15-spoke 17-inch wheels, push button start and a voice activated navigation system.

Additional Features

Sirius Satellite Radio is standard with the EV Focus and includes a six-month trial subscription. Owners will have access to more than 130 radio stations playing commercial-free music, offering talk, entertainment and sports options.

One of the most innovative features of the battery electric Focus is its illuminated charging port, which leaves no question whether your Focus is ready to go or not. When owners plug their connector cord into the Focus Electric charge port, which is located between the driver’s door and front wheel well, it activates light rings around the port to show that it’s connected. Your charge is still in progress when the rings are flashing. Your charge has been completed when the rings are solidly lit.

The dependency on foreign oil is higher than it has ever been. With nearly all American families having two cars or more, our fuel consumption is at an all time high. And as we can probably all attest so is the cost of gasoline. It used to be that it only took forty or fifty dollars to fill up our tanks, now it costs upwards of sixty dollars.

It’s no surprise that so many people are downsizing their vehicles. Trading in guzzlers for eco-friendly models is en vogue as well as practical. People who drive trucks or SUV’s are second guessing those choices. Gasoline for larger vehicles like trucks and SUV’s costs nearly twice as much as it does to fill-up compact cars. Car dealerships across America are selling more compact and hybrid cars than any other vehicle.

To lessen America’s dependency on foreign oil and to attempt to bring down the cost of gas, many car manufacturers are working hard to produce cars that can run on electricity or use much less fuel to operate. A good example of this is the Prius, manufactured by Toyota. Prius drivers get up to 50 miles per gallon of gas. Considering that many trucks only get 12 miles per gallon, this is a tremendous difference in fuel consumption and therefore, expense. This gas saving feature is what makes the hybrid Prius so popular.

With gas becoming ever more expensive, and the economy decreasing as it has been, many Americans can’t afford to keep serving up $150 or more a month for gasoline. And that’s typically for just for one car! For families with two or more vehicle, that’s upwards of $300 a month in fuel costs.

Many companies are trying to find alternative forms of energy. Motor vehicles companies are working on producing more electric cars and vehicles that use gasoline made from corn. The major advancements made in substitute fuel sources come in the form of biofuels. Some scientists and companies are experimenting with recycled frying oil from restaurants to produce crude oils needed for gasoline.

Our dependency on foreign oil has had a very negative effect on our country’s economy. There are many commuters who regularly travel an hour or more to and from work. In most areas, public transportation is not an option, so they must drive their own car at tremendous expense. This forces them to cut spending elsewhere. When a family cannot afford to pay its bills for basic subsistence like food and rent because the price of gas is so high, something is terribly wrong. This is why supporting alternative fuel research is so important to this country.

Many people in America have no option but to drive a car. I’m sure we all would love to be able to walk or ride our bikes everywhere we go. This is simply not an option when commuting an hour to work on crammed roadways. We have to work to be able to support our families and pay our bills, and it’s not fair to have a huge percentage of that go to oil companies in the Middle East. If we had other forms of fuel that cost less money, not only would it be better for our environment, but it could also drastically improve the state of our economy. It’s important that we all stand behind companies researching new forms of fuel. Maybe, with enough encouragement and support, they could come up a fuel source that revolutionizes the way we think about traveling. Then all of our money could stay here in the United States and fuel our economy.