- The 2012 Ford Focus Electric starts at $39,995, including a $795 destination charge, making it a head-to-head competitor with the Chevrolet Volt.
- The 2012 Chevrolet Volt starts at $39,995, including an $850 destination charge.
- The Focus Electric will first go on sale in California, New York and New Jersey, with a bigger rollout in other U.S. markets next year.
SEATTLE — The 2012 Ford Focus Electric starts at $39,995, including a $795 destination charge, making it a head-to-head competitor with the Chevrolet Volt. Ford announced pricing on Wednesday, saying that it was opening up the order banks for its first mainstream electric vehicle.
Ford said buyers of the Focus Electric may be eligible for a federal tax credit of up to $7,500.
The 2012 Chevrolet Volt starts at $39,995, including an $850 destination charge. The base 2012 Nissan Leaf SV starts at $36,050, reflecting a $2,420 price hike over the 2011 model.
A base 2012 Ford Focus sedan with conventional 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine starts at $17,295, including a $795 destination charge.
The Focus Electric is almost fully loaded, with the only options being leather seats and two paint colors. Standard equipment includes MyFord Touch (a MyFord mobile app that allows the owner to remotely monitor and schedule battery charging with a smartphone), 17-inch aluminum wheels and ambient lighting. The Ford EV also gets a standard rear camera with parking sensor, push-button start, a navigation system, Bluetooth, electronic traction control, and an audio system with nine speakers.
A limited number of Focus Electrics will first be available in California, New York and New Jersey. Next year, the electric car will be available in 15 other markets, including Boston, Chicago, Denver, Detroit and Los Angeles.
Inside Line says: You'll pay a hefty premium to avoid the gas pump with the Ford Focus Electric.
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rpvitiello says:
03:44 AM, 12/18/2011
This is NOT a B or "sub-compact" segment car, it is a C "compact" car. A fiesta is a "sub-compact." This is a full size class up from that.
The regular engine titanium trim focus with options is usually about $27,000, do people really expect something allot more advanced and expensive to sell for the same price? $40,000 - $7500 federal tax credit = $32,000
So the electric focus is $5,000 more than a non electric version of the same car, with the same trim. (if it does come pretty much fully loaded standard like a titanium trim gas powered focus)
Ford does not want unchecked sale volume. They want to make a profit on every car they sell.
Eventually as volumes ramp up, the cost will come down, and they will be able to offer the electric tech on less fully equipped models. I am guessing offering it fully loaded is to help pad the price of the car, why sell it for $29,000 in a base model setup, when it's only a few $1,000 more to make it a loaded one, so the customer feels they are getting more value out of the car.
watkinst says:
03:30 PM, 11/07/2011
20-27K electric Focus would have be down at the dealer checking it out. $30+K not even going to bother reading about it anymore.
watkinst says:
03:29 PM, 11/07/2011
Bummer I haven't even looked or bother to read about Ford in years and the Focus has caught my attention however it seems Ford thinks all of its vehicles are magically worth piles of money? No thanks if I'm going to drop 30+K on a car I'll just buy a used Porsche or maybe a sweet Infinity for 20-30K.
The whole point of electric is to work on reducing your transportation costs. Wife and I are prime candidates for owning an all electric Festiva though $39K? I'll have more interest in dropping $60K on the Tesla 4dr sedan. And yes I can afford it but simply refuse to spend 30+K on a Ford Compact car.
tbone85 says:
05:16 PM, 11/04/2011
I think there must be some other issue creating this pricing. Perhaps they can't mass produce the tech and are using the price to pad profit and reduce demand so that they can meet it? I don't know, but it does seem a bit odd.
blackdynamite1 says:
09:17 PM, 11/02/2011
The right price for this car is $34995
After rebate it's $27500, which is what a commonly found Focus Platinum or Focus ST (Next year) will sticker for.
And it will get noticed on the market! $27500 will get you going.
Do you think Toyota wanted to sell the first Prius for under $20k?
NO!
They were losing a nice chunk on each car, but they saw the big picture. They saw it as an investment. And they knew they could penetrate the market if they got under $20k.
NOW they're getting a return on that investment.....
BD
tbone85 says:
09:00 PM, 11/02/2011
They certainly intend for this to be a low volume car. BD is right, there really doesn't seem to be a good reason for the price. For the same performance, I could care less what badge they stick on it. Klockboy has the dollars right where they'd need to be for me to get into the second or third generation of one of these type of vehicles.
yamahr1 says:
05:19 PM, 11/02/2011
The Focus EV was an intriguing proposition when rumors had it around 30K before the rebate. At this price, the Volt is a completely superior solution, trading off extra EV miles for getting unlimited range with the Voltec powertrain. The Focus probably drives well, but as virtually every other source will tell you so does the Volt, and gives a premium feel.
I'm glad Ford is getting in the market, but at this price I'd say it's not all that serious about competing. And the fact they haven't stated range yet is probably not a great sign.
damaje says:
04:41 PM, 11/02/2011
$40k and no mention of range which means half what a leaf or mitsu whatchacallit gets. For that price it should not have focus in the name or look like a focus. Isn't BMW's new little electric going to be around that price? I'd pay forty for a BMW badge even if it is smaller, just for the cache both green and otherwise and the knowledge that no matter how green a car is from BMW it will always be a good drive.
jscion says:
02:59 PM, 11/02/2011
These cars just don't have the range and aren't practical in price. I used to like the idea of a gas free vehicle but who wants to drive a $40K economy car???
blackadder5639 says:
02:28 PM, 11/02/2011
klockboy says "I am really trying to get my head around why someone would pay this type of money for a sub-compact electric car. I would think I am the target demographic, yet I have no intentions of even considering this type of vehicle at the present time. When price gets to $25-$30K and range gets to 200 miles, than a re-think will be in order. There are just too many other options right now."
klockboy, these cars are meant for wealthy or well-to-do people who are either "greenies" or want to show off their green credentials. They are not meant for the average buyer, who is generally seeking the best value-for-money and practicality. They are not meant to sell in large volumes...they are not intended to be the most practical cars....they do not make sense at this point for an overwhelming majority of car buyers.
These EVs are works-in-progress. As "greenies" buy them, manufacturers will get a better opportunity to improve them over the years. The general public will also get the chance to see the pros of thes cars for themselves as improvements are made. Lastly, this is a sort of statement or advert for Ford's green credentials.