Battery Availability for 2014 FFE

[flanigan]

We are looking into buying our first EV, specifically at a 2014 FFE with ~9k miles. Should the battery need a replacement in the next year or two, are batteries even available?

 

[Heima]

In the past, I have searched for the best price on a replacement battery. The cheapest I found was about $5k, but I did not follow up to see if the battery was actually available. I believe people who have had the battery replaced, luckily under warranty, the total cost was about $21k. Though somebody else might have differing information from personal experience.

Finding a 2014 with only 9k miles is amazing, but it sadly does not guarantee that the vehicle wont have expanded cells. If you could find a 2017 or 2018, you would get a larger battery pack, more likely a more reliable pack, and DC Fast Charging. Additionally, you would get an HV battery warranty. I would not expect the price difference between the 2014 and a 2017 to be that much, maybe $5k at the most?

The Ford Focus Electric is a great EV, but you do have to make some sacrifices, namely the lack of trunk space. I owned a Fiat 500e before my FFE, and I was very impressed with that car. I sold it because I wanted greater range and DC fast charging.

 

[skyguy_6153]

Unless you want to add another $3,600 to $14,000 to that price tag, you should avoid buying any Focus Electric between the model years 2012 through 2016. These are known for having issues such as a coolant leak inside the upper battery pack or having faulty 1 speed gear drives (Check the Ford Focus Electric Facebook group, and you'll see what I mean. Can't go a week or so without someone talking about a coolant leak in their battery pack). The "second generation" model years, 2017 through 2018 with the 33 kWh battery, don't seem to have that issue. This means you have more range (2012-2016 gets around 76 miles in city speeds, 2017-2018 can get 130-145 miles in city conditions), DC fast charge (which takes around 22 minutes), still under warranty till at least 2025, and a more responsive sync infotainment software.