Questions

[jzn010]

I have been in the market for a new car for awhile and although my only real requirement is that it operate mostly on electric power I haven't been able to find the right one for me yet. I have looked at the Volt, Fusion Energi, and Leaf. The volt is the only one i would consider purchasing at this time but it seems like a waste to haul around a gas engine for my driving patterns. I recently found out that I could order a Focus Electric from a local dealer so I am currently reviewing it to see if it will fit my needs. My commute is trivial, 15mi/day, but this would be our primary in town car. Looking at inventory it seems that the closest FFE is ~190 miles from me which is a little far to just kick the tires. Since first hand isn't available to me I trust information from all of you owners over what a salesperson who has never seen one will tell me.

So, with no further delay the questions.

1. What model/trim/options/sizes of the gas focus would be most comparable to the FFE equipment?

2. Does the 2014 have homelink? I see people installing the homelink visors into 2012 and 2013 but it seemed like 2014 might have it.

3. Is there an overhead sunglasses holder?

4. Kids, I have two that use boosters and front facing. The passenger dimensions look the same as the gas focus of which Ford sells plenty. Is there any reason the FFE would be less suited to kids and car seats?

5. Storage, how bad is the hatch intrusion? I was really disappointed in the Fusion Energi trunk. With the FFE weekend trips are out due to range but the numbers say it has about 2 more cubic feet available than the Energi. Dropping the seats isn't an option due to kids. Could I fit four normal sized backpacks or a week of groceries with the upper cover in place?

6. 50 miles in 0 degrees or 100 degrees for 8 years. Is this a save assumption?

Thank you for your input and opinions.

 

[jmueller065]

1. Titanium
2. Don't think so (My 2013 doesn't have it)
3. Yes
4. Interior dimensions (aside from the "trunk") are identical to gas Focus
5. Look here: http://jamiegeek.myevblog.com/2013/09/19/dude-wheres-my-trunk/
6. Most likely: I can only answer the 0 degrees question: I can just squeak out 60 if I freeze myself on those really cold winter days (lots of blog entries on winter driving at jamiegeek.myevblog.com) (Can't answer longevity but there are owners on here with over a year on their FFE that haven't lost any range.)

If you we're to go to a Ford dealer and look at a Titanium Focus that would get you about 90-95% there as far as the passenger cabin is concerned. In addition: If you test drove one you would see the fine handling characteristics of the Focus family in general that makes the FFE such a great car to drive (The FFE handles better for two reasons: 1. No shifting, and 2. 50/50 weight distribution).

 

[jzn010]

I think I'll have to find some time to go check out a Ti trim hatch.
Thanks for the trunk pictures, I was looking for some similar to that. Regarding deep portion with the organizer removed, what is the width between the gate and the battery pack?
I'll also be working my way through your blog it looks like there is a lot of good information there.
Good to hear on the range staying up after a year, that doesn't' seem to be the case over on the Leaf forums.

I exchanged some emails with a dealer today and he said they are unable to do z-plan pricing. I was surprised by that since they were willing to do it for a Fusion Energi. That tempers my enthusiasm a little bit.

 

[v_traveller]

50 miles of range in 100-degree weather with the A/C on is no problem, in my experience. I suggest a lighter color (white, platinum white, silver) if you plan on driving and parking in hot sunnny weather a lot. I've had no range degradation after 13 months. Wouldn't expect much degradation after 8 years, at least compared to the Leaf, since the FFE battery has a thermal management system.

 

[jmueller065]

Max distance from back of battery to inside wall at the center is roughly 12 1/2", at the sides its 11 1/2". The battery is 10" high (or the "hole" is 10" deep however you prefer to look at it).

 

[Gigi]

We have a Focus Electric and a Fusion Energi.

Carrying around a 23kWh battery in the Electric vs. carrying around an ICE with a 7kWh battery in the Energi is pretty much a wash as far as energy consumption is concerned. The Energi is only 289 pounds heavier than the Electric. I look at Watt-hours per mile consumed in both of our cars and they are pretty even. The most economical single all electric trip so far has been in the Energi.

Trunk space is limited in both cars but in different ways. I think that you could fit four backpacks in the Energi if you play Tetris with them. I don't think that you could get four in the Electric without removing the organizer and the cargo cover. The good news, however, is that if you're going to take the organizer out and leave it behind, it's just as easy to take out the cargo cover at the same time. Then you have a little more cargo room than the Energi with things able to stick up above the back seats. You can do that if you need to.

There is plenty of room for a week's groceries in the trunk of either car.

When I first went car shopping, the first thing I did was ask to see the trunks of a regular ICE Fusion, Fusion Hybrid, and Fusion Energi. Based on that first impression, I dismissed the Energi out of hand. After further consideration, thinking of how infrequently we would use the car for trips vs daily driving, we decided to go with the Energi rather than the hybrid. In my experience, the Energi will fit two carry-ons, a large suitcase, a duffel bag, one or two toiletry bags, and a hanging bag. That's more than enough for my wife and me. Packing for two adults and two children in either car is going to take some thought.

15 miles/day is very easily within the Energi's range. You could drive the car most days entirely on electricity as I do. The ability of the car to drive as a normal hybrid would allow you to use it for long out-of-town trips. Some of the trim on the Energi is nicer than on the Electric - Homelink, memory seats and mirrors, self-dimming mirrors, more electric seat adjustments for both driver and passenger, etc., but it is a considerably more expensive car. With a gas engine, maintenance for the Energi will also be more expensive.

I love both cars. Our main reason for buying the Energi was to be able to drive mostly on electricity around town and have the option to take the car on long trips. Our main reason for getting the Electric was the economics of operating and maintaining an all-electric commuter car.

Handling in the Electric is more sporty. The ride in the Energi is smoother and quieter.

My biggest disappointment with the Electric is no Homelink, but it's not a big deal to clip a garage door remote to the visor. The dealer quoted me a price of $250 to upgrade to a Homelink visor, which I am considering.

My biggest disappointment with the Energi is the audio system in the SE model we purchased. The Sony audio system in the Electric is nicer than in the Energi SE while the Sony system in the Energi Titanium is another step up from the Electric's.

If I were doing anything differently in purchasing cars today, it would be to order a Fusion Energi Titanium with either the red or the ceramic seats and a few more options mostly so that I could get the Sony audio system.

Hope this helps.

 

[jzn010]

jmueller - Thank you for the measurements. With those and the photos from your blog I think I'll be able to get a decent idea on space when i look at a std focus.

gigi - That is a good comparison between the energi and electric. Thank you. My daily drive being inside of the energi's range was what got me in the door to look at it. To justify the higher price I figure we'd need to be able to take it on weekend trips to keep miles off our aging suv and I feel that the trunk space would be enough of an issue that it is currently removed from consideration. This opened the door for the lower priced FFE where overnight bags are not required. The shorter payoff period also lends itself nicely to replace the SUV with whoever is first to market with a PHEV suv.

One other thing, does the FFE have or at least have an option for the external keypad entry?

 

[jmueller065]

Don't really need the keypad entry: the FFE has a sort of proximity key. When you touch the door handle with the key fob in your pocket it unlocks. Oh yeah: there isn't a key, it's push button start.

If you feel you really need a keypad you can get one through Ford:
http://accessories.ford.com/actuator-asy.html

(The keypad is really just another key fob that sticks to the door.)

 

[jeffand]

This video shows how much space is in the FFE trunk.

:arrow: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ekl0AQfoS0

 

[jmueller065]

Cool video! I like the grocery bags and cooler to show how much it can hold.

The most I've put in the trunk with the organizer removed is one of these:
http://www.amazon.com/Sandusky-FBW3621-Folding-Capacity-Length/dp/B00EQ39VAW/ref=sr_1_10
along with two of these:
http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/item/sports-chair-navy/61335

Yes all 3 items at the same time: The wagon and one chair fit in the well and the 2nd chair lays on top.

 

[Gigi]

My daily drive being inside of the energi's range was what got me in the door to look at it. To justify the higher price I figure we'd need to be able to take it on weekend trips to keep miles off our aging suv and I feel that the trunk space would be enough of an issue that it is currently removed from consideration. This opened the door for the lower priced FFE where overnight bags are not required. The shorter payoff period also lends itself nicely to replace the SUV with whoever is first to market with a PHEV suv.

If you have a vehicle that can handle luggage for long trips, I don't think you can go wrong with buying or leasing the Focus Electric so long as you are able to drive it within its range limit and charge at home.

Another alternative to the Focus Electric now or looking further down the road as a replacement for your SUV, might be to consider the C-Max Energi. It has the same drivetrain and battery as the Fusion Energi, but with a lot more cargo space than either the Focus Electric or Fusion Energi. Have you looked at these?

We were close to buying the C-Max our first time around, but looks and a quieter and smoother drive swayed us in favor of the Fusion. The big factors in the C-Max's favor were cargo space and headroom. We considered the C-Max again when we were about to buy the Focus Electric and decided for the Electric because of the economics of being all electric.

 

[EVA]

The 2014 FFE I own, did not come with Homelink.

The Titanium comes with a sunroof (I think). There is no sunroof option for the FFE.

I own both an FFE and a Titanium Focus. JMueller has it exactly right, if you drive the Titanium, handling is pretty similar. The FFE feels more sure footed and flatter in turns. The FFE accelerates from a stop light way faster and smoother. One gear in the FFE is a special feeling. I like the way the FFE handles better than the Titanium.

The rear seats are identical between the two models. If the booster seats fit in the Titanium, they will fit in the FFE.

One other thing - the FFE crash testing was better than the ICE Focus.

 

[jzn010]

I made it out to the dealer this weekend and drove a nice white titanium hatch and was pretty impressed. The two weakest points in the car I felt were the engine noise and the shifting. Conveniently neither of these is a concern with the electric version.

The use of soft touch material was appreciated and I thought Sync was pretty nice. Due to the spare tire and the foam spacer I walked away with the same uncertainty on the hatch space. Until I can view one in stock the video and measurements will have to do.

The stick on keypads are pretty tacky especially when compared to the light up frames on some of the other models (go figure $28k vs 40). I do a lot of running and don't have a good spot to carry a key so that is a nice feature especially since the proximity key kind of prevents me from just sticking it up under the car somewhere to hid. I have seen others stick the pad in a more discrete place.

This is really looking to be a solid car and it is starting to surprise me there isn't more discussion of it online. The Leaf forums seem to be very popular yet not a lot of people are comparing the two. I consider them direct competitors and with the current cash back the money seems to be tipped in this direction.

Overall the car has survived round 1 of the vetting process and I'll continue reading here and on jmueller's blog.

 

[pjam3]

I made it out to the dealer this weekend and drove a nice white titanium hatch and was pretty impressed. The two weakest points in the car I felt were the engine noise and the shifting. Conveniently neither of these is a concern with the electric version.

The use of soft touch material was appreciated and I thought Sync was pretty nice. Due to the spare tire and the foam spacer I walked away with the same uncertainty on the hatch space. Until I can view one in stock the video and measurements will have to do.

The stick on keypads are pretty tacky especially when compared to the light up frames on some of the other models (go figure $28k vs 40). I do a lot of running and don't have a good spot to carry a key so that is a nice feature especially since the proximity key kind of prevents me from just sticking it up under the car somewhere to hid. I have seen others stick the pad in a more discrete place.

This is really looking to be a solid car and it is starting to surprise me there isn't more discussion of it online. The Leaf forums seem to be very popular yet not a lot of people are comparing the two. I consider them direct competitors and with the current cash back the money seems to be tipped in this direction.

Overall the car has survived round 1 of the vetting process and I'll continue reading here and on jmueller's blog.

Leaf promotes, Ford pretty much does not. In my area I see a lot of Leafs, Volts, & Tesla's. I've seen 1 other FFE besides my own. And most of the dealers around here either don't carry FFE or carry 1. When I bought mine back in late Nov, they had 1 and didn't even try and talk me into buying it. It was more like "oh you want the FFE, ok."

If I wasn't set on getting it, I would have walked. I mean they really didn't care if I bought the car or not and I went there looking to sign a deal without even getting into any conversations. I did my how, knew it was the car I wanted, and even with that, it was almost like, they didn't give a damn if I bought the car or not. After they gave up trying to sell me on the Energi and c-max, they kind of didn't care anymore. It's like the FFE is a car they were dumped with and didn't want to sell it.

I mean after I bought it I had to spend like 3 hours waiting for them to charge it. "oh it's not charged" was the answer.

It is far different compared to when I bought an ICE a few years back where they refused to let me leave the lot and I test drove like 5 different cars that day. It's night and day.

It might not be like this everywhere, but I live in an area where there are far more people buying/driving Electrics and hybrids compared to other states, so I can't imagine sales people or dealers caring a whole lot more in an area where only a handful of people own any electric cars. And it's been like this at every Ford dealer I've visited around here. Some didn't even know they sold the FFE.

It is a bit different at Nissan and Chevy dealerships. The Volt is different, but when you visit their dealerships, it kind of feels like they have a plan to market and sell these cars. Whereas with Ford, I don't get the feeling they care. And when one of the Directors of the company gives a statement about not caring to much about Electric cars, that's not really a good sign.