If you like the idea of electric cars but you’re tired of the ones you hear about always being months or years away from becoming available, being prohibitively expensive or not available here at all, don’t worry there's a model that might fit the bill which is available right now. Ford dealers in Southern California would like to take you closer for a overview of the 2018 Focus Electric, and here are five of the key Focus Electric features that should convince you to go down to your Ford dealers in Southern California to check it out.

Powertrain

Until electric vehicles become the mainstream, the first feature anyone is going to examine closely is the all-electric propulsion system that replaces the internal combustion engine we're all so used to. That means as well as no engine there's also no transmission or gas tank either. Instead there's a 107 kW (143 horsepower) electric motor that sends power directly to the front wheels. The electric motor gets its energy from a lithium-ion battery pack that currently holds 34 kWh of energy, which according to the EPA is enough in this case to provide a driving range of 115 miles. The energy efficiency ratings is therefore 107 Miles Per Gallon Equivalent, or MPGe, which is the measure of how far a vehicle can travel electrically on the same amount of energy as there is in a single gallon of gasoline.

SmartGauge with EcoGuide instrument cluster

Such a different propulsion system requires some different instrumentation, so the Focus Electric comes standard with the SmartGauge with EcoGuide instrument cluster where LCD displays provide the driver with real-time driving data. Information such as Energy History, Brake Coach and Butterfly screens help the driver monitor and improve the way they are driving to optimize the performance and therefore the range of the car.

Charge Port with LED State-of Charge Indicator

The Charge Port with LED State-of Charge Indicator lights up whenever the charging cord is plugged in and tells the driver whether it's connected and charging or not. When the four bars on the display are all lit that indicates the battery is fully charged. By opting for the SAE Combo Connector System the charge port will then be able to be charged using a 120V, 240V or a DC fast charge direct current.

Regenerative braking system

Regenerative braking is technology that helps to conserve energy when your vehicle comes to a stop. When you come to a stop, the system harnesses the kinetic generated by the action of stopping and sends that energy back to the battery. Instead of this energy just being wasted as it is in non-electric vehicles it's utilized here to extend the distance you can drive before needing to recharge the battery from a mains supply.

Driving serenity

If you've never driven an all-electric car before you're going to find it a very different experience to driving a combustion engine-powered car. The first thing you'll notice is the lack of engine noise, so all you will hear is the wind, the tires on the road and what's going on outside. But as well as being quiet, you'll also find the Focus Electric is the smoothest of all Focus models and it's also extremely quick as the electric motor has a lot of torque so the power deliver is more immediate than it is with a regular car of this type with a gas engine.

For more details and information about the Focus Electric or any Ford electric vehicles, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us today here at your nearest Southern California Ford Dealers, your number one choice Ford dealers in Southern California