The new Ford Focus Electric promised to be a game changer as it was, but now it’s even more apparent that Ford is going all out on its answer to the Chevy Volt. The big news is that the Ford Focus Electric will feature Ford’s new control system.
Actually, every model of the 2015 Focus will include the system, which first came fitted on the 2013 Taurus. So what are the perks of this new system?
“The real benefit to drivers is when you yank hard on the wheel to avoid something like a pothole, the system decreases body roll and helps you to maintain vehicle control,” Ford Spokesman Chris Terry told Edmunds.com.
The control system works by monitoring the angle of your steering wheel and how fast you’re turning in conjunction with how fast the car is going – among other various measurements. It them applies some stability control the moment before you go into a spin, ideally preventing that spin from happening altogether.
The Name Game
This revelation is just the latest news about the Focus Electric. Before we get to all the great things Ford will be offering with this model, let’s start with what everyone starts with when they first hear about a car: its name. In my estimation, calling it the Focus Electric is nothing more than a bland attempt to avoid the inevitable day when some car company will name its electric car Edison to challenge Tesla. Maybe Edison isn’t a good name for a car, but I would argue that Electric is about as creative as naming a car Gasoline.
In fact, I have to say I prefer Gasoline to Electric. Gasoline sounds vaguely exotic – especially if you pronounce it Gas-o-lean – and has none of the mumble mouth quality of the consonant-heavy Electric. Plus, the fact that it could not have less to do with what the car is about will fit in with the grand tradition of Ford naming cars after irrelevant nouns – such as Fiesta, Edge and Escape.
Even if the name could be better, this car still has a lot to offer, even before you put on some of the great aftermarket Ford parts that are out there. Most notable is how far you can drive before you have to think about fuel. The Electric can go 110 miles on the highway before you have to worry about charging up its single-speed 107 kW electric motor.
That motor puts out 143 HP, which naturally isn’t going to challenge the Mustang any time soon, but is actually decent for electric cars. The Nissan LEAF, for example, is only capable of an output of 107 HP. If you’re in the market for an electric car, you probably don’t care much about how it performs in a drag race anyway.
Your main concerns likely have more to do with the previously discussed mileage capabilities and price. The Electric starts at $29,170, but that does include the control system. If you’re looking for an electric car it could be a good option, even with a generic name.
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