After Some Confusion, Ford Focus Electric Will Hit 19 Markets in Spring of 2012

By Zach McDonald · August 08, 2011

Ford today clarified launch plans for its forthcoming Focus Electric, saying that the despite reports to the contrary the car has not in fact been pushed back and will see a limited release in New York and California as scheduled, by the end of this year. The announcement comes after an Automotive News story last week questioned the launch timeline for the Focus Electric, which according to the car's PluginCars.com vehicle page (and pretty much every media report from the last year,) used to be “19 markets in late 2011.”

According to a post in the myfocuselectric.com forums, a Ford marketing manager named David Finnegan told a prospective customer in an email recently that Ford does not intend to deliver the car to all 19 of its listed initial markets until spring of 2012. The information spread and was picked up by the media, until Ford today confirmed in a statement that the car wouldn't actually be available to all initial markets at the time of its launch:

“Ford remains on schedule to deliver the initial Focus Electrics by the end of the year. As previously communicated to dealers, the first few months of Focus Electric production will be concentrated on delivering vehicles to California and New York. Our dealers in those areas will be the first to have their retail orders scheduled and receive the Focus Electric. We will be rolling out to the remainder of the initial Focus Electric markets starting with production ramp up in Spring 2012.”

The confusion could come from any number of reasons, but by pledging only to concentrate on two of 19 early markets during the first few months of release, Ford has effectively given itself some breathing room leading into the Focus Electric's launch. Was the plan ever to release the car simultaneously to all 19 markets at the same time? We may never know. By keeping things ambiguous though, Ford got to truthfully promise a “2011 release” without fully releasing the car until the next year. The move could help to avert the public relations headaches suffered by Nissan over slower-than-expected deliveries of the 2011 LEAF.

About the author

· Zach McDonald

Zach McDonald is a writer from New York City. He has been covering alternative fuel vehicles, politics and energy policy for HybridCars.com and PluginCars.com since moving to Oakland five years ago. His first car was a late '80s Chevy Caprice Classic and he looks forward to his next being a plug-in—preferably with a working radio.

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Comments

· indyflick · 40 weeks ago

You know what they say... December is always the month of EV disappointments.

· jim1961 (not verified) · 40 weeks ago

Some people have been waiting anxiously for decades for mass produced EVs to arrive. A few more months is not a big deal.

· Benjamin Nead · 40 weeks ago

That list of the 19 markets, by the way, is as follows . . .

Tucson, Arizona
Phoenix, Arizona
Los Angeles, California
San Francisco, California
San Diego, California
Denver, Colorado
Orlando, Florida
Atlanta, Georgia
Chicago, Illinois
Boston, Massachusetts
Detroit, Michigan
New York, New York
Raleigh Durham, North Carolina
Portland, Oregon
Austin, Texas
Houston, Texas
Richmond, Virginia
Seattle, Washington
Washington, D.C.

· Axe_Handle (not verified) · 40 weeks ago

Pricing? Anyone?

· Dave K. (not verified) · 40 weeks ago

No price yet, that tells me it's high, also slightly smaller battery than the Leaf.
What you can buy one for is anyone's guess, I ordered a 2012 Leaf in Atlanta a week ago and by the time the dealer get's his and the state tax you're close to $40K.
To get much traction the price needs to be more like $30K, then the tax credits and the fuel savings makes it very attractive.

· EVNow · 40 weeks ago

"As previously communicated to dealers, the first few months of Focus Electric production will be concentrated on delivering vehicles to California and New York."

Looks like that is Ford's spin currently. Note that back in November when Ford announced the list cities it will launch Focus EV in – every media outlet reported that the launch in all the cities will be in late 2011. Ford didn’t correct any of those stories to say only CA & NY will get cars in 2011, rest in Spring of 2012.

Anyway, I'm more interested in why the delay - but since Ford isn't going to even accept there has been a delay in the rollout, we aren't going to get any answers to that.

· Anonymous (not verified) · 40 weeks ago

Don't forget that they ship cars to places that will sell them. Volvo is currently having this problem with their cars in the USA. They can sell certain models for more money in specific locations. Those locations get more alocations(Sp?).

· EVNow · 40 weeks ago

@Anonymous (not verified) · "Don't forget that they ship cars to places that will sell them."

That has nothing to do with what we are talking about. If a dealer can't sell in Dec '11, he can't sell in Mar '12 either.

· Anonymous (not verified) · 39 weeks ago

Actually Ford initially stated there would be a slow launch, with 'some' delivered during the Fall of 2011 and ramping up production for Spring 2012. But they also said that the production/launch could be ramped up based on demand.

Also, during Alan's interview on David Letterman, he stated that the Focus EV will get 80+ miles per change. Since current Leaf customers average about 35 miles of driving per day, lowering the mileage to 80 helps Ford reduce the battery size and reduce the overall cost of the vehicle by thousands.

My guess is that Ford wants to offer the Focus EV at a few thousand less than the Leaf at launch. With the 2012 Leaf starting at $36,500 and $38,100 after adding just the battery warming technology and DC Fast Charging.

So if the Focus Electric could start around $32K, since it's using a shared platform and car body with the high volume Focus that sells over 90K cars a month worldwide, along with the current Euro C-Max that's been a hot seller for Ford.

· jerry (not verified) · 39 weeks ago

Sad... I've been waiting (some money down) since March and I feel Ford just isn't really communicating with us. Yes they do plenty of FB promo's, but they don't really seem to talk with buyers. That is why this is the way we find out what is really happening, and I will have to wait for them to come to the Phoenix market next year. :(

· EVNow · 39 weeks ago

@jerry (not verified) · "I will have to wait for them to come to the Phoenix market next year. :("

Well, you could always get a Leaf instead. A purpose built EV will always be better in terms of weight, efficiency & space than a conversion.

· Stephen (not verified) · 38 weeks ago

I'm a bit worried about the Focus' fancy dashboard display. Using hand held cell phones while driving has been outlawed in California and other states because of the dangers of "distracted driving". If that dashboard display isn't distracting, nothing ever was. I hope we don't see a bunch of squashed Focus EVs because their drivers were fiddling with the pretty buttons when they were supposed to be paying attention to the road.

· okeegirl · 37 weeks ago

They just lost a sale. I have been without a car since early this year, waiting to purchase this EV in the fall. I can't wait until spring, hoping again that it will be available then : (

· RJ (not verified) · 35 weeks ago

Gee, sales to start in 19 markets, but not in the country's seventh largest city, San Antonio? Is it demographics or market penetration? Inquiring minds would like to know.

· Anonymous (not verified) · 31 weeks ago

Yes... we could get a Leaf (a wonderfully hideous vehicle) or hang on a few more months for a Focus E. It's tough though, I need a car!

· Parbriz (not verified) · 29 weeks ago

I just can't wait to "hear" one of this on the street

· JP (not verified) · 29 weeks ago

I can see the plug in C-max getting pushed out to Spring of 2013. Bumer..

· Bronx357 · 29 weeks ago

Fascinating! That was a lovely car...

· Steve (not verified) · 28 weeks ago

Electric Vehicle adoption in North America has one main enemy: Range Anxiety. Most people can get to and from work just fine on a standard charge, but what if you want to go out for lunch or make plans after work. Where will you get your juice? Demand EV chargers at your place of business and they will come! I can point you in the right direction with whom to talk to internally. SGonzalez@WIN-Partners.com

· Brian Schwerdt · 28 weeks ago

@Steve: Or, for the price of the Focus EV, buy a Volt instead!

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After Some Confusion, Ford Focus Electric Will Hit 19 Markets in Spring of 2012

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