CES 2011: 2012 Ford Focus Electric

The new Ford Focus Electric was announced by Ford CEO Alan Mulally in a keynote speech at CES.

With claims that the car will provide better mile-per-gallon equivalent (mpg-e) than the Chevy Volt and a full recharge in three to four hours which is half the time required to recharge the electric Nissan Leaf, the all electric car turned a few heads. According to the EPA, the Volt gets an estimated 93 mpg-e on electricity, 37 mpg on gasoline, and 60 mpg average. The all-electric Leaf gets a 99 mpg-e rating from the EPA.

Microsoft will provide software the the Ford Focus Electric by charging vehicles when electricity rates are at their lowest and has invested in a new version of MyFord Touch driver connect technology to provide electric vehicle pertinent information such as distance to nearest charge point and car’s expected range and has been working with Best Buy’s Geek Squrd to provide service for in-home charging stations.

With a top speed of 84 mpg and “enough range to cover the majority of daily driving habits of Americans”, the car may not be the right choice for all Americans. Additionally, the price has not been released, but the car is expected to hit the market in late 2011.