Suggested improvements for Focus EV

[Lmengoli]

I have had my FFEV for 3 months and 2500 miles and I love it. I have these observations.
I think it is too small for a true 4-5 place car. It would be better to think of it as a sports car and get rid of the back seats. This would allow for a bigger battery and more cargo space.
Twenty years ago I had a Porsche 944 and the FFEV has very similar acceleration and handling qualities but the 944 could easily handle my golf clubs (a requirement Ferry Porsche insisted on). Ford could use one of their bigger models as the family sized EV.

 

[dmen]

If you want it to be a two-seater, leave the back seats folded down. Voila! I don't golf but I imagine two bags of clubs would fit in that configuration.
I believe typical "family cars" are way bigger than they need to be.

 

[Lmengoli]

That was my plan when I bought the FFEV but even with the headrest off it crowded the front seat too much (I am 6'3"). Now I Just put the clubs on the back seat but for the 95% of the time I drive solo or with one passenger it's space better occupied by a bigger battery. This is a very small "family car".

 

[v_traveller]

Yes, the FFE is a small "family" car, as are all other cars with 4 doors in the EPA Compact class, i.e. Civic, Corolla, Versa, 3-series, C-Class, etc... For me, an average-height American male (according to Wikipedia), a four-seater of this size works great as a daily commuter. Kids fit in the back, as do most folks at work that hop a ride once in a while. And there's ample room in the way-back for backpacks and brief cases.

For road trips and weekly errands to big-box stores, our family has "The Mothership", which is a rather typical family car... a Honda Pilot. Around here, the "typical" family car seems to be a minivan or a unit-body SUV.

My point is that vehicles that are considered family cars (in the USA, at least) come in all sizes, and the FFE is no worse at serving as a family car than most any other car in the EPA Compact class with at least 4 doors.

I think the FFE would improve from little tweaks here and there that were mentioned in other threads, but I'd imagine taking away the back seat and slapping another $5K-$10K to the sticker price for more energy storage would likely result in a product that would be even less successful in the marketplace than the current FFE.

Besides, if Ford removed the back seat, they would probably get rid of two doors, put the front end through a horrendous uglification process, then call the resultant frog-like creature a "Ford EXP":

http://www.oldcarbrochures.com/new/120311/1985%20Ford%20EXP/1985%20Ford%20EXP-01.html

Sometimes it's best to learn from history rather than to blindly repeat it.

 

[jmueller065]

LOL! I kind of liked the EXP..especially the 2nd generation (scroll down: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_EXP ).

Once I get my FFE we'll be a two Focus family (the wife will be driving my current ICE Focus). Our son actually prefers to ride around in the Focus than in larger cars.

Granted, even with two Focuses, we'll still have the F-350 sitting in the garage to haul around those REALLY big loads! LOL

 

[v_traveller]

Oh yeah, I liked the late-1980s EXP too, with the Escort GT-like front end. Actually looked a lot better than the Escort GT, in my opinion.

I did like the 1st-gen EXP, despite its funky styling, after I rented one for a weekend (was the only stickshift on the Hertz lot at the time). I remember it having some spunk (by eighties standards) and agility... much more fun than the 4-cylinder Mustang with a 4-speed I usually ended up with.

A two-Focus family.... nice! I'm a two-Focus wanna-be, hoping to get a Focus ST... but at $26K+, it might be a while.

 

[Lmengoli]

Well the Focus has been to my understanding a very successful car and tinkering with success is probably more likely to lead to less success than more. That having been said, I like the idea of a two door Focus and would probably pay for the extra range a larger battery would give but I may represent a small and unprofitable minority. Not familiar with the EXP (unless this means Explorer). I like the looks of the current EV and would not like to see the front or rear changed.

 

[v_traveller]

Lmengoli - Looks like they're bringing back the Focus two-door... would this do it for you if offered as an EV with a bigger battery?

http://www.concept-cars.org/2013-ford-focus-coupe-concept.html

I'd be in line right behind you if, in addition to the bigger battery, a "sport" mode is provided that is capable of 0-60 in less than 6 seconds, top speed no less than 120mph. My next car will share commuting chores with the FFE, but primary purpose would be to serve as a weekend racer... Would be cool if it could be electric! Wouldn't be able to drive it to the track though... need to borrow jmueller's F-350...

 

[jmueller065]

Except that coupe design was created by an independent designer: NOT by Ford.

In addition, there are a few clues in that article that say it is a few years old:

And speaking of its styling, it’s clear that the designer was inspired by the European Focus, as it has that aggressive look.

Today's Focus is identical world wide. Thus he must have been talking about the previous generation Focus where the US had an older, uglier one and Europe had something similar to the current one.

Note that its doubtful that Ford will make a coupe Focus simply because they can't build enough of the current Focus. All the Focus plants world wide are pretty much going flat out (they sold over 1 million Focuses last year! For 2012 it was the #1 selling vehicle worldwide. Can't really beat that.).

 

[v_traveller]

Doh! Too good to be true, I guess...

 

[DuncanWatson]

I would classify the improvements I want in three categories. Shortterm Easier changes, harder changes, design changes.

Easy Changes (mostly SW, I work as a developer)

• Software stability, mostly wide availablity of 3.5.1.
• Mapping updates and improvements, showing more EV chargers.
• Mapping sw improvements - Make entering addresses easy ala google, rather than the peck and wait it is today.
• Allow me to beam addresses from my phone via bluetooth to mapping SW
• Garage door opener option (Homelink)

Harder stuff:

• L3 charging via CHAdeMO or SAE standard
• Market the car more.

Design changes:

• Move the batteries and get me my trunk back.
• 200+ mile EPA range battery pack.

A 200+ mile range FFE with L3 charging would be perfect for my needs.

 

[PowerstrokeNC]

I think ford needs to consider the Fusion, it's larger chassis could accommodate more battery and it strikes a really good position between full size and compact.