Ford Focus Electric V2.0 wish list.

[jeffand]

What improvements will the next generation of FFE have?

I don’t know what the second generation of the FFE will be like. I don’t know when or even if there will be a second generation FFE.

The list below is in the order most to least importance.
1) Increased range to at least 120 miles (33 kWh battery).
2) Add a heat pump to climate control. This will reduce the load on the battery when heat is used.
3) Level 3 charging (DC quick charging).
4) Update charging station location in navigation system via USB drive (POI file).
5) Relocate some of the batteries in the trunk too under the passenger compartment.
6) Heated steering wheel.
7) Increase the length of the passenger compartment by about 2 inches.

The easiest to do would be items 4, 6, 2, and maybe 3.
The hardest to do would be items 1 and 5, because they would require the most engineering and manufacturing cost to do.

Items 1, and 2, will improve the driving range of the vehicle. Item 3 makes it easier to go on those long road trips.

What would you like to see changed on the FFE?
What changes would you make to this list?

 

[jmueller065]

4) Update charging station location in navigation system via USB drive (POI file).

Why USB? Even easier (at least for the driver) would be to just have it continuously update over the air via the internet or Sirius/XM.

Better yet, don't even have the database in the car and use Plugshare over an LTE modem.

 

[Steve0512]

4) Update charging station location in navigation system via USB drive (POI file).

The car already has a built in WIFI router. I want it to be able to connect to my home WIFI. SYNC would be more reliable. And I want the ability to update not only POI's but also maps, traffic and weather. Would it be so bad if when your car woke up for your morning Go Time. It would download the traffic, weather and tell you if a new charger opened up in your area?

 

[Olagon]

Just had ours for a couple of months, but here are my thoughts:

• A frunk (why is the engine taking up all of the front engine space + a real trunk.
• Thinner seats. They seem to thick and are hard to move back and forth in the front. Rubs up against the side. Thinner could mean more interior space.
* Innovative way to charge in public with your EVSE being locked in the car. As EVs get popular, I fear swiping EVSEs that are plugged in would be too easy a target for folks that want to make a quick buck. Maybe option to lock in frunk while charging?
* More safety! I love our Outlander's forward collision mitigation system. Willing to pay more for this option.
* 360 view while driving to help avoid side collisions.
* Integrate self inflating tire technology.
* Work with utility companies to standardize a Demand Response program for FFE owners allowing our cars to earn revenue through DR program participation.
* A deal with Enterprise to allow for a few days of included rentals for trips that go beyond our range.

Honestly, it's a very good value right now for what we are getting versus other options from other car companies.

 

[EVA]

Jeffand,

I like your list a lot. That's all good stuff.

2) I would change the heat pump to just a better more efficient way to heat the interior of the car and the batteries. I don't care if they use a hydrogen cell, propane, or a flux generator - just stop using so much of the battery to warm the car up in the winter.

The whole heat in cold temperatures is all about getting their mind out of California and thinking about the rest of the country. It gets cold everywhere else. Ford sells a lot of cars everywhere else - help with the heat.

5) - there is already a battery pack under the rear seat. (not sure if you remember there are two battery packs in the car) - Point well taken though, more trunk space.

I agree with JMueller - just updates on the charging station location, any way they can do it. Don't care how, just do it. No reason to spend $150 every year for a map update.

 

[jmueller065]

I don't care about the trunk space so much. If I have to continue to sacrifice trunk space (perhaps even a bit more sacrifice) to simply get to 200 miles I'd be happy with it (e.g. range takes precedence over trunk space).

I'd also be happy with a different car than the Focus. Seems to me that a larger car (Fusion, Escape, Edge, etc.) has more room for batteries. Personally I think if Ford came out with a 200+ mile BEV Fusion it would just about take over the market.

 

[michael]

I don't care about the trunk space so much. If I have to continue to sacrifice trunk space (perhaps even a bit more sacrifice) to simply get to 200 miles I'd be happy with it (e.g. range takes precedence over trunk space).

I'd also be happy with a different car than the Focus. Seems to me that a larger car (Fusion, Escape, Edge, etc.) has more room for batteries. Personally I think if Ford came out with a 200+ mile BEV Fusion it would just about take over the market.

I agree, a 200 mile car at a reasonable (i.e., not like Tesla) price would be fantastic. GM is promising to announce one later today, let's see what it brings.

The new Volt was announced just a few minutes ago...it's an improvement over the current one, for sure, with 50 mile electric range, but not quite what it would take to completely displace BEVs, at least for me. If they had reached 60 miles and provided 6 kW charging, they would have completely displaced FFE/Leaf class vehicles.

Even so, if Ford has nothing better than today's FFE when my lease expires in a year and a half, the new Volt would look like a reasonable contender.

 

[pjam3]

It looks like GM and their "Bolt" will be the $30K and 200 mile version people have been looking for. Who knows if it will really be $30K and really get 200 miles, but at least GM has talked about this car and continue to promote it like it'll happen in 2 years whereas the rest of the companies, including Ford, seem to be ignoring the market or just talking about plug-ins.

 

[EVA]

Actually 200 mile range Fusion would be perfection.

 

[jmueller065]

It looks like GM and their "Bolt" will be the $30K and 200 mile version people have been looking for. Who knows if it will really be $30K and really get 200 miles, but at least GM has talked about this car and continue to promote it like it'll happen in 2 years whereas the rest of the companies, including Ford, seem to be ignoring the market or just talking about plug-ins.

Ford's presser at NAIAS is sometime around 9am (at Joe Louis Arena like they've done for the past few years).

Looking on the news this morning the reporters showing Ford's car display showed some interesting things: Ford has a bunch of trees in the middle of the display (presumably to show how "green" they are), and, for the first time I've ever seen, on the large display surrounding the stand, they were showing their "green cred" which included prominent FFE displays! (Last years NAIAS had the FFE, Fusion Energi, and C-Max Energi tucked away off in a corner like they were embarrassed that they had them.)

But we'll see at 9:10am...

(I like the look of the "Bolt" but not the name! LOL Image below is straight off of GM's website)

More info on the Bolt:
http://www.chevrolet.com/culture/article/bolt-ev-concept-car.html?seo=goo_|_GM+Chevy+Awareness_|_GMNA%7CUS%7CCHV%7CGOOG%7CS%7CBP%7CA%7CBMM%7CAWR%7CBEV%7CSCO%7C%28null%29%7C%28null%29%7CGG-AWR-BOLT-SN-BP-BMM_|_Bolt+Branded+BMM_|_%2Bchevy%20%2Bbolt
To me that side view looks almost exactly like a Ford Escape or C-Max!

For Ford's next EV my preference would be: an AWD Fusion using pancake motors at each wheel (like 50+ HP at the wheel, for 200+ HP total) leaving more room in the car for battery. Ford has already tested pancake motors in the wheels on a Fiesta:
http://jamiegeek.myevblog.com/2013/10/15/in-wheel-motors/

 

[jmueller065]

Nope, nothing EV or green at all in today's Ford presser. Just performance cars (F-150 Raptor, Mustang GT350R, and GT).

 

[hybridbear]

Actually 200 mile range Fusion would be perfection.

And make it a hatchback like the European version and then you won't lose so much cargo space to the batteries.

 

[pjam3]

Nope, nothing EV or green at all in today's Ford presser. Just performance cars (F-150 Raptor, Mustang GT350R, and GT).

This is why I sometimes think Ford could care less about the FFE or EVs in general. There are compliance cars out there, but the reality is, Ford pretty much treats the FFE like a compliance car. They never talk about next generation, never talk about real improvements to the car, and so on. It's almost like the Toyota Rav 4 EV in a way as Toyota pretty much ignore that and stopped making it. At some point Ford needs to have a next generation FFE or Fusion or they won't have any EV cars. Why would anybody buy a 70 mile FFE if they can buy a 200 mile Bolt or 200 Mile Tesla for almost the same price?

 

[michael]

or a 20 mile Energi when they can have a 50 mile Volt

 

[USKaizen]

I have an idea. It might be a better car if it was designed as an electric from the beginning, then add a high efficiency deasil or gas engine model later, then a hybrid. All three concepts would be better off if designed first as an electric car. This is in contrast to taking a gas engineered car and modifying it to be an electric one.