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Ford has announced the launch markets for an electric version of the new 2012 Focus. Starting in late 2011, the car will be offered in Atlanta; Austin and Houston, Texas; Boston; Chicago; Denver; Detroit; Los Angeles; San Francisco; San Diego; New York City; Orlando; Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona; Portland; Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina; Richmond, Virginia; Seattle; and Washington, D.C. In other words, major cities in the U.S.
Among several factors, Ford chose the markets because they have high sales of hybrid vehicles; the Blue Oval expects hybrid buyers to be the earliest adopters of all-electric cars. Additionally, the company wanted to launch the Focus in markets with short commuting distances so customers can actually use the cars daily. Opportunities for collaboration with local governments and utilities were also taken into consideration.
After evaluating how well the cars fare in those markets, Ford will eventually roll out the Focus across the country. There's no solid timeline in place, though, with Ford saying it will increase production capacity and expand the Focus Electric's availability based on customer demand in various regions.
The electric car is based on the all-new, 2012 Focus that goes on sale here in early 2011. Ford has divulged precious few details about the EV version, but we do know it employs a 23-kWh lithium-ion battery pack, with a single-speed transaxle directing power to the front wheels. Ford claims the Focus EV will have similar acceleration and braking performance to the gasoline version, and a range of up to 100 miles on a full charge.
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