When will we see a Ford “Plug n Play” fully electric vehicle?

It sounds like Ford is looking to introduce a “Plug n Play” Focus Hatch to compete with the Mitsubishi i-MiEV, Nissan Leaf and the Holden Volt. These vehicles have been around and under going trials for a little time now. The “Plug n Play” Focus EV could join the growing list on emission free electric vehicles starting to build some momentum here in New Zealand and around the world. 

The new Electric Ford Focus runs exclusively on electricity stored in batteries, which means it never needs to be filled up with petrol.

The Ford Focus EV will be sold in America and Europe later in 2011. It is part of the plan that Ford has announced to introduce up to five unique electric vehicles worldwide within the next 2 or 3 years. The Focus EV is the front-runner to begin the electric revolution for Ford here in New Zealand and Australia.

The introduction of a fully electric vehicle is no easy matter however; it’s not just a matter of turning an existing model into an electric car. Firstly, there needs to be a genuine appetite from consumers to buy and drive an electrical vehicle. Secondly, there needs to be the infrastructure in place to support a “Plug n Play” concept. With this in mind, Ford will need to work with local governments, the automotive industry and service providers so that the issues around recharging can be resolved.

Ford are on record as saying “Our strategy is not to do what others are doing and build a stand alone electric vehicle, it’s to try to move electrification across normal passenger vehicles”.
This strategy would enable Ford Focus buyers to still get all the Focus features that the petrol and diesel versions offer, except that this one will be electric. Ford are continuing to make sure that any new vehicle sold will continue to meet all the rigorous tests it put its vehicles through as it prepares for release in New Zealand and Australia.

They say that vehicles like the Focus EV go through thousands of kilometers of tests in their European testing grounds to make sure that they won’t sustain damage when driven on the types of roads found down here. Ford will test every tyre and wheel combination and monitor every piece of information gathered through out the testing programme before any new vehicle goes on the market.

Well at the end of the day it will come down to what you are prepared to buy and drive. The scramble is on to find the replacement for the internal combustion engine, well for the one that runs on oil and petrol anyway.

16/6/2011