Ford backs away from its own electric car.

What a shame, they have a hit car that they don't seem to believe in.

http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1082482_ford-focus-electric-wont-sell-well-says-ford?fbfanpage

Hmm... I guess I read it differently... seems to me that Ford is being realistic on their sales forecasts, and are ready to produce many more if the market demands it.

Maybe they're depending on current owners to advertise for them? That worked on me... saw a FFE whiz by me on the freeway, a few days later I ended up buying one.

"backing away" would imply that Ford has changed its plans for the FFE. I don't see that at all in the article, in fact:

C.J. O'Donnell, the company's group marketing manager for electrification, told The Detroit News that those sales were "meeting our expectations in the marketplace."

Click to expand...

That alone tells me they are right where they want to be with FFE sales. I haven't noticed Ford's message about the FFE change over time; their message has always been that the FFE won't sell much and is pretty much a niche vehicle due to its limited range and high cost.

Very few people are aware of the FFE. Ford hasn't offered it the same exposure that Nissan gave the Leaf. Had they done so, its sales would reflect a car that is in many ways better than its Nissan counterpart. I just feel like Ford and Toyota wouldn't mind terribly if their cars don't gain a large following as it gives them the chip to play when arguing against the increasing electrification standards pushed by local and federal govt. Too cynical?

I test drove the FFE and I liked it a lot. But at $10,000 more than the Leaf S, it's not clear Ford wants my business. The FFE definitely has a larded up upscale trim. I also looked over the gas Spark and convinced myself that my 6'4" self wasn't gonna fit in the Spark EV.

So it's down to the FFE at $28,000 vs the Leaf S at $18,000. It's probably gonna be the S unless a Ford dealer is willing to match the Leaf SL at $23,000. That's not gonna happen.

Good car though. But they're probably just manufacturing it as a CA CARB compliance car.

I think the FFE is a much better driving car than the Leaf as well as much more aesthetically pleasing. Ford should work harder at promoting the car. I certainly have. I got one of my coworkers into an FFE and working on another. The cheap Leaf is just that, a cheap Leaf, and you will pay for any of the upgrades that bring it up to the level of the FFE.