Ford is not planning to join the long-range electric car race, at least not in the near future.
Ford is currently working on launching the 2017 Focus Electric with 100 miles of range -up from the MY2016’s 76 miles- with Kevin Layden, the company’s director of electrification programs and engineering, saying to AutoNews that this is enough distance to cover the daily commute of most drivers.
Layden also said that, by keeping the driving range of the new Focus Electric at 100 miles is helping in keeping down the weight and the cost, as it allows the use of a smaller and lighter battery pack.
“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.”
Chevrolet is currently working on the launch of the Bolt EV this fall, offering a 200-mile driving range, while Tesla has gathered almost 400,000 pre-orders for the Model 3.
Ford had previously announced the investment of $4.5 billion for the expansion of their electric car portfolio which includes the introduction of 13 new models with some kind of electric propulsion.
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