Biker16 Posted April 18, 2016 Share Posted April 18, 2016 (edited) http://www.autonews.com/article/20160418/OEM05/304189970?template=print No 200-mile electric car in Ford's IMMEDIATE future Richard Truett RSS feed Automotive News | April 18, 2016 - 12:01 am EST Ford is sticking with 100 miles of driving range in Focus Electric to rein in weight, costs, says the company's electrified programs chief. DETROIT -- Ford Motor Co. has no immediate plans to chase General Motors, Nissan and Tesla in the electric car range race. Kevin Layden, Ford's director of electrification programs and engineering, said the 100-mile range coming this fall in the 2017 Focus Electric -- up from the 2016 model's 76 miles -- is enough distance to cover the daily commute of most drivers. Speaking on the sidelines of the SAE World Congress last week here, Layden said keeping the car's range at 100 miles will help rein in weight and cost. The lower range enables the use of a smaller, lighter and less expensive battery pack, Layden said. But during a panel discussion last week on the future of electric cars, several speakers said a range of at least 200 miles is needed to alleviate consumers' range anxiety about battery-powered cars. "I think right now with the launch of the Focus Electric at 100 miles, it is going to satisfy a big chunk of the population," said Layden. "It's going to be really affordable and a step up from where we are now." Edited April 19, 2016 by akirby Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fordmantpw Posted April 18, 2016 Share Posted April 18, 2016 Key word: immediate . Immediate means now. Not 1 year from now, not 2 years from now, but now. I have no doubts that the Model E will expand on that range significantly. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
transitman Posted April 18, 2016 Share Posted April 18, 2016 (edited) It will "satisfy a big chunk" of a very small part of the population. Maybe this is Ford's way to satisfy the critics until real advances are rolled out, because 76 to 100 mile range is the addition of a couple of cells, not a real advance. Edited April 18, 2016 by transitman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anthony Posted April 18, 2016 Share Posted April 18, 2016 I'd say they've reached the practicality limit in the Focus Electric. If they make the batteries much bigger, there will be no cargo space. The Model E / "from the ground up" electric vehicle would take care of this. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted April 18, 2016 Share Posted April 18, 2016 I'd say they've reached the practicality limit in the Focus Electric. If they make the batteries much bigger, there will be no cargo space. The Model E / "from the ground up" electric vehicle would take care of this. This. ^^^ There isn't much more then can do without a dedicated chassis, and Ford isn't going to discuss Model E publicly yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biker16 Posted April 18, 2016 Author Share Posted April 18, 2016 This. ^^^ There isn't much more then can do without a dedicated chassis, and Ford isn't going to discuss Model E publicly yet. I wanted to point out that the 200 mile range Bolt EV is on the same platform as the Trax and Encore. And built on the same line as the sonic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted April 18, 2016 Share Posted April 18, 2016 I wanted to point out that the 200 mile range Bolt EV is on the same platform as the Trax and Encore. And built on the same line as the sonic. Does it use the same chassis? How long did it take them to engineer the batteries into the chassis and how much did it cost? Here's a hint - it wasn't cheap and it didn't happen overnight. Ford is doing exactly the same thing in conjunction with the new C platform. Just because you're impatient doesn't make it a bad business decision. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jasonj80 Posted April 18, 2016 Share Posted April 18, 2016 Ford is doing exactly the same thing in conjunction with the new C platform. Just because you're impatient doesn't make it a bad business decision. Is anyone even sure that there is a new "C" platform? I suspect Ford will be going the way of VW's MBQ, Toyota with TGNA, Volvo with SPA, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mustang_sallad Posted April 18, 2016 Share Posted April 18, 2016 This guy should have a look at how Nissan's 100-mile Leaf is doing. Sales have not picked up despite the launch of the 30kWh 2016 Leaf. That said, they are still about exactly 10 times higher than the current Focus EV, so there's plenty of room to grow for Ford. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biker16 Posted April 18, 2016 Author Share Posted April 18, 2016 Does it use the same chassis? How long did it take them to engineer the batteries into the chassis and how much did it cost? Here's a hint - it wasn't cheap and it didn't happen overnight. Ford is doing exactly the same thing in conjunction with the new C platform. Just because you're impatient doesn't make it a bad business decision. do you know what a chassis is on a modern uni-body car? can you define it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvrsvt Posted April 18, 2016 Share Posted April 18, 2016 do you know what a chassis is on a modern uni-body car? can you define it? akirkby...friendly reminder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardJensen Posted April 18, 2016 Share Posted April 18, 2016 do you know what a chassis is on a modern uni-body car? can you define it? If GM can do a pure electric play on 'the same platform' as their ICEs, then so can Ford. Will they? I couldn't say. I'm not working there. I guess I trust the most profitable unionized car company to make the right call in this situation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deanh Posted April 18, 2016 Share Posted April 18, 2016 still not sold on pure EVs.....if I was in the market I would be looking at plug ins as the best compromise, and save myself buying TWO cars....if someone can extend a plug ins EV range to say 75 -100 miles that's a true winner.... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmc523 Posted April 18, 2016 Share Posted April 18, 2016 Key word: immediate . Immediate means now. Not 1 year from now, not 2 years from now, but now. I have no doubts that the Model E will expand on that range significantly. Exactly. To me, this is a case of Ford not wanting to trash their current product (100-mile range Focus Electric), despite knowing they'll need more range with competitors out/coming out with more than 100-mile range. So for the time being, they'll say they think 100-mile range is enough, then they'll come out with a new, longer range vehicle (Model E). Autoblog has stupidly picked up the story and reported it as "Next Ford Focus [Electric] will stick with 100-mile range." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biker16 Posted April 18, 2016 Author Share Posted April 18, 2016 (edited) If GM can do a pure electric play on 'the same platform' as their ICEs, then so can Ford. That is great to hear, but Ford is how far away from a 200 mile EV, that they say the market doesn't need? Will they? I couldn't say. I'm not working there. I guess I trust the most profitable unionized car company to make the right call in this situation. I thought that was GM. Edited April 18, 2016 by Biker16 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biker16 Posted April 18, 2016 Author Share Posted April 18, 2016 Just a thought but how many buyers would pay 30k for a 100 mile Focus EV vs a potential 35k for a 215 mile model3 or 37k for 200 mile Bolt EV. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuzzymoomoo Posted April 18, 2016 Share Posted April 18, 2016 I thought that was GM.No GM is not more profitable than Ford. GM sells more than Ford across all of their brands than Ford does with their 2, yet their net income is pretty close to the same every quarter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted April 18, 2016 Share Posted April 18, 2016 do you know what a chassis is on a modern uni-body car? can you define it? I'm not answering questions like that. If you want to make some kind of statement on Ford's engineering expertise or business strategy then be clear about it. Otherwise I'm staying out of the mud. Because I sense you're about to switch horses again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted April 18, 2016 Share Posted April 18, 2016 That is great to hear, but Ford is how far away from a 200 mile EV Nobody outside Ford knows or needs to know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted April 18, 2016 Share Posted April 18, 2016 BTW - since Biker16 loves to put Toyota up on a pedestal - where is Toyota's 200 mile EV? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardJensen Posted April 18, 2016 Share Posted April 18, 2016 I thought that was GM. GAAP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mackinaw Posted April 19, 2016 Share Posted April 19, 2016 Actually I'm with Biker on this. If I was going to buy an EV (and I'm not), I'd pick a Chevy Bolt over the EV Focus any day. I live in a rural area. If we want to go to Traverse City (the biggest town in Michigan's lower peninsula), a 100 mile range wouldn't get us there and back, but a 200 mile range would. Ford has to do better than a 100 mile range. Whether they like it or not, Chevy and Tesla have set the bar at 200 miles. As mentioned in another post, I do know somebody who works in EV powertrain at Ford. I saw her at a wedding last summer. I asked her about the Model E, and she wouldn't tell me a thing. So who knows what Ford has planned beyond the EV Focus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmc523 Posted April 19, 2016 Share Posted April 19, 2016 Actually I'm with Biker on this. If I was going to buy an EV (and I'm not), I'd pick a Chevy Bolt over the EV Focus any day. I live in a rural area. If we want to go to Traverse City (the biggest town in Michigan's lower peninsula), a 100 mile range wouldn't get us there and back, but a 200 mile range would. Ford has to do better than a 100 mile range. Whether they like it or not, Chevy and Tesla have set the bar at 200 miles. As mentioned in another post, I do know somebody who works in EV powertrain at Ford. I saw her at a wedding last summer. I asked her about the Model E, and she wouldn't tell me a thing. So who knows what Ford has planned beyond the EV Focus. I think most of us will agree they need more range. But Focus Electric is what they have right now until they do release the new model. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
probowler Posted April 19, 2016 Share Posted April 19, 2016 Same reason you don't announce the next model update at the beginning the current model year.... Unless you're an idiot, then I guess that might not seem like a problem Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fordmantpw Posted April 19, 2016 Share Posted April 19, 2016 This is like Ford saying "No, our PowerStroke has enough power, and our Super Duty can tow enough weight, and it has enough cameras, so we don't need to add more. For now." Much ado about nothing. They are saying the care they have now is perfect for what they want now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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