NEED ADVICE!

[Akua]

First timer here from Vancouver Canada:

I'm looking to buy a FFE, and I cant decide if I should get a used 2014 for $18500, a used 2017 for $28,000 or a Brand New 2018 for $35000
My instinct is to get the 2014 model, but after doing much research I'm a bit scared about the range and charge time compared to the 2017,2018
and if it is worth the (Large) jump in price for those features..

My commute to work is 52KM (32.5 Miles)- 2/3rd of it is Highway driving...
I currently own a 2010 Ford Edge, and a 2011 Ford F-250 SuperDuty, and I'm fairly heavy on the pedal (I spend approx. $800 month in fuel) ($10,000 annually)

Is there any specs online that say what the range is if you are travelling at 120KM ?

Any advice is VERY appreciated! Thanks!

 

[Elektra]

First timer here from Vancouver Canada:

I'm looking to buy a FFE, and I cant decide if I should get a used 2014 for $18500, a used 2017 for $28,000 or a Brand New 2018 for $35000
My instinct is to get the 2014 model, but after doing much research I'm a bit scared about the range and charge time compared to the 2017,2018
and if it is worth the (Large) jump in price for those features..

My commute to work is 52KM (32.5 Miles)- 2/3rd of it is Highway driving...
I currently own a 2010 Ford Edge, and a 2011 Ford F-250 SuperDuty, and I'm fairly heavy on the pedal (I spend approx. $800 month in fuel) ($10,000 annually)

Is there any specs online that say what the range is if you are travelling at 120KM ?

Any advice is VERY appreciated! Thanks!

Is 52 km one way or round trip? Are you quoting the price of the new one with or without incentives?

Highway driving is not as bad as using heat in the winter. I would worry more about range when the temperatures are below 50F.

 

[Akua]

Thanks for the reply Elektra,

Yes, 52 KM is each way. I have charge ports at work and at home (soon)
The first 2 used prices I quotes are before tax, and the new price $35,000 is plus tax and freight but before incentives (5K back)

I should mention since I made this post I found out that getting a new one may not be an option anymore. The dealer told me the 2018's are
sold out for the YEAR!!!! and he said something about Ford closing the factory in the US and opening up one in China, so he says it may not even
be possible to buy a new one for a year or two!!!! Crazy right??

I'm leaning towards the used 2017 model for $28K....

As for the highway driving I have read bad reviews about people like me that have a heavy foot... And as for heating and cooling I would warm (or cool)
the vehicle up 15 mins before I plan on departing...or 20 mins...

In Vancouver our temp dips below 50F for about half the year.... But I'm a polar bear so I'm not super concerned...

Thanks again!

 

[triangles]

Sorry you'll have to convert from imperial units to metric. Do not buy the 2014! unless you can charge at work. In the winter the 76 mile rated range can be as low as 40 miles. and if you're doing mostly freeway it would be possible for the range to approach your commute distance with excessive heat usage and high speed. EV's are the complete opposite of ICE vehicles. Your "freeway" mileage is much less than your "City." Another reason to avoid the '14 even if you can charge at work is that battery degradation is real. constantly running the battery nearly flat on a regular basis will accelerate battery degradation and you may reach the point you can no longer make your commute in the winter. The '17 and '18 are the exact same car with the bigger battery. I'd go for one of these as you'd probably easily be able to make your commute round trip even in winter. Which ever way you decide to go probably the best advice I can offer to maximize your battery life is to avoid running it low when it's reasonably possible and when you do run it low DO NOT let it sit at a low state of charge. Start charging it ASAP.

 

[eoin]

Hi there,
I too live in Vancouver and picked up a 2017 FFE in May. I have a 40km commute each way, and probably 2/3's of it on the highway against the flow of traffic. So I am flying down the 91 most days. That being said I get wildly different efficiencies each way. In the morning when the roads are clear, my commute takes anywhere between 60-70kms of range, but on the way back when there is a bit more traffic it might only take 20-30km of range. I also have a charger at work, but nothing at home for the time being and I am fine for range during the week. I'd go for the 2017 personally. I don't know if it has been fixed in this generation, but I've read about lots of SSN issues with the previous generation.

Hope my experience helps!

 

[Akua]

Triangles, I agree and have decided the 2014 is out of the question.

Eoin, If you are taking the 91 it sounds like you travel from south surrey to Burnaby or Vancouver. I appreciate your 2 cents on this because you are local. Do you mind me asking what speeds you
are travelling at on your commute. I currently average about 120 in my edge...sometimes 140 if the roads are clear and usually no less then 100... I'm curious how much battery loss if travelling at 120 or higher? I did a quick search on the SSN problem and it looks like it only affected the older models 2012, 2013,...

Thanks again,

 

[eoin]

Triangles, I agree and have decided the 2014 is out of the question.

Eoin, If you are taking the 91 it sounds like you travel from south surrey to Burnaby or Vancouver. I appreciate your 2 cents on this because you are local. Do you mind me asking what speeds you
are travelling at on your commute. I currently average about 120 in my edge...sometimes 140 if the roads are clear and usually no less then 100... I'm curious how much battery loss if travelling at 120 or higher? I did a quick search on the SSN problem and it looks like it only affected the older models 2012, 2013,...

Thanks again,

Yah, I am commuting from Vancouver into Surrey for work and there is relatively little traffic on the way in. This morning I topped out at 120km/hr and used 6.6 kWh, looking over the past week the highest I had used was 7.6 kWh. The Ford's Guess-o-meter on range is highly variable, depending on your most recent drives. I would think you'd be fine on your commute, even if you just plugged it in overnight on a 120V. I should mention that I use the seat warmer on a regular basis on my commute, but only use the air to defog the windshield when needed.

 

[carrieyhuang]

Fixes for Stop Safely Now.

I had Ford Focus Electric 2014. Started experience Stop Safely Now error in 2017. I got it fixed by
1) Disconnecting high voltage cable.
2) Clean it good (remove old grease).
3) Apply new Motorcraft Electrical grease to the large high voltage positive and negative terminal.
4) Reconnect back.

Never had the same error for 18 months! The key is to find a shop is willing to do the above simple procedures for you. Most shop will do so called "diagnostic" cost $100 and tell you all those errors that requires $10K to repair.

Good luck.

By the way, Stop Safely Now actually does not do anything, at least to my car. You can keep driving. But as soon as you slowed to near stop, it will stop and won't start until a few hrs later.