Test Drive: 2013 Ford Focus Electric Rules the Testing Track

Inhabitat attended the <a href="http://media.ford.com/mini_sites/10031/FordFurther/">Ford Trends Conference</a> last week, and naturally the highlight was test driving several cars on the company’s track at its Dearborn headquarters. Ford seeks a stronghold in the emerging electric vehicle market as the <a href="http://inhabitat.com/test-drive-2013-honda-fit-ev-is-the-most-fuel-efficient-car-in-the-us-with-few-compromises/">Honda Fit EV</a> and <a href="http://inhabitat.com/index.php?s=nissan+leaf">Nissan LEAF</a> attract plenty of buzz, but after taking the <a href="http://www.ford.com/electric/focuselectric/2012/">Focus Electric</a> out for a spin, we think its handling, technology and comfort could charge ahead of the competition!

The Ford Focus launched this year, with the first models on sale in EV-friendly California, New Jersey and New York; sales will roll out to 16 additional states by the end of this year.

Ford has not set an official sticker price for the 2013 Focus Electric yet, but its 2012 model’s price is set at $39,995.

That price, of course, comes before government rebates that could knock that price down as much as $7,500, though a home Tier Two charging station will set back owners about $1,500.

The reason why the Focus Electric’s price is on the high end is because of the battery, which costs anywhere from $12,000 to $15,000.

The battery is the juice behind the Focus Electric’s power; its permanent magnetic electric traction engine has a 100 kilowatt AC electric motor that offers 143 horsepower and 184 pound feet of torque.

The LG lithium-ion battery provides a capacity of 23 kilowatt hours. According to Ford, the Focus Electric can rev up to a top speed of 84 miles per hour with a range of 77 miles and an MPG off 110 miles on city streets and 99 MPG on the highway.

Naturally our lead feet wanted to slam the pedal right away since an EV’s torque is what makes these cars a hoot to drive.

But Ford and the car itself encourages you to take a completely different approach to driving. The MyTouch dashboard is designed to remind whoever is behind the wheel to drive, accelerate and break as efficiently as possible.

The combination of the MacPherson strut front suspension design, the “control blade” multi-link rear suspension and Michelin’s Energy Saver 225/50 17-inch wheels all contributed to blast on the track. The pylons sure did not appreciate our abuse, but the Focus Electric was amazingly resilient and maintained steady control as we whipped around the track’s corners.

The interior sticks to the Focus Electric’s theme of being as eco-friendly of a car as possible. The seats’ upholstery are made from <a href="http://inhabitat.com/ford-uses-edible-and-recycled-materials-to-make-eco-friendly-car-parts/">recycled plastic bottles</a>.

Butterfly icons emerge on the monitor to give you an idea how much reserve power remains in the battery.

Despite Ford’s insistence we pay attention to the dash, naturally our instinct after pressing the power button was to slam the gas pedal to the floor as we began navigating around the testing track. The biggest surprise was how well the car handled and gripped the road.

And before you even start your journey, Ford suggests that drivers enter the final destination so that they can navigate smartly so that they can complete the entire trip with ease. As far as making the road trip enjoyable, the phone and music connections are easy to use and figuring out all the bells and whistles on the dash are seamless to figure out.