Interior color

[WattsUp]

I liked the Ford Focus Electric so much, I purchased one despite the fact that I really don't enjoy light-colored interiors in cars. Fortunately, the FFE's interior has enough dark elements (dark dash, two-tone door panels, dark carpet) to keep me from completely puking.

Personally, I would have been much happier if my FFE had an interior in charcoal, or black/gray, etc.. Considering that most of interior of the FFE is stock Focus, I don't understand why Ford couldn't have also offered it with a dark interior color scheme.

(And, while I'm at it, a moonroof would have also been great.)

 

[v_traveller]

I've always liked light interiors, only because I live and commute through areas that are 80F-105F for at least half of the year, and a light interior seems to make a big difference in needing to run the A/C to cool down to and maintain a bearable interior temperature. At an earlier point in my life (the bachelor days) I had an obsession with red Corvettes... had one with a saddle (light beige) interior, one with black, neither had the glass roof. Windows up, I needed to run the A/C on the black interior Vette on any sunny day over 68F, but with the saddle interior I didn't need A/C unless it was over 75F.

So I'm guessing that Ford may not offer a dark interior because it would cause us to use the A/C more often.

Like you, I do wish there was a moonroof option... venting the warm air by tilting it open would give me one more reason to not use the A/C. Maybe Ford figured that an electric moonroof would add too much weight?

 

[unplugged]

Like you, I do wish there was a moonroof option... venting the warm air by tilting it open would give me one more reason to not use the A/C. Maybe Ford figured that an electric moonroof would add too much weight?

From my quick research, it looks as if a sunroof adds 50-60 pounds. (A glass one is heavier than steel.) This weight addition no doubt entered into the decision to not offer the moonroof/sunroof on the Electric version.

Every pound added to an electric car lowers the potential range.

 

[WattsUp]

I presume the car can still achieve is 76 mile range loaded up with four passengers (at 150-200 pounds each), so I would think that a 60-pound sunroof wouldn't affect range very severely.

Even if a 60-pound sunroof were to reduce range by a mile or so, personally, I'd gladly take it.

 

[vetboy45]

I presume the car can still achieve is 76 mile range loaded up with four passengers (at 150-200 pounds each)

Why would you presume that? I'd presume it would get a noticeably shorter range with all those passengers. I doubt 60lbs would do much, however.

 

[WattsUp]

I agree, the range will decrease with more weight, increase with less. But, since cars are designed to carry passengers (plural) and luggage, not drive around empty, I would presume the EPA test cars with a simulated load of some kind. Otherwise their testing would be inaccurate.

I couldn't find any other reference (after just doing a quick search), but this article says the EPA tests with a simulated load of 350 pounds:
http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/story/can-consumers-trust-epa-mileage-stickers-cars

While not quite what I presumed, it does seem the EPA tests with the equivalent of 2-3 passengers, if the article is correct. So, when driving around alone (unless one personally tips the scales at 350) and without luggage, we should each, in theory, get somewhat better mileage than the EPA predicts.

 

[vetboy45]

Interesting. I guess I hadn't considered that the EPA might add weight to the cars for the testing. I'm surprised that the manufacturers don't throw a fit as that would decrease their CAFE. I guess the consumer actually wins a small victory on that one.

 

[DavidJohnson]

I had a chance a few weeks ago to make a 20 mile trip (one way) with four people in our FFE. The weather was a little chilly maybe 40s and mostly flat terrain. I was surprised at how much the 'budget' was affected by the extra weight. I know the FFE remembers me and how I drive and presents me with my mileage budget, but I usually drive the car alone. Since I had extra passengers, my budget dropped 8-10 miles in the 20 miles I drove. I had plenty of range to get there and back, as I had about 1/3 of the range remaining. All that being said, I was just surprised that the extra passengers affected the range by maybe 10-15% or so. Maybe the bigger factor was the history of how I usually drive (alone). Just to stay on topic, I prefer a grey interior because it hides dirt and such since I use the car to commute to work.