In 2012, the base price for Ford’s Focus Electric was US$39,995. Now, Ford’s website features a list price of US$37,995 for “cash-only” sales and a hefty US$10,750 discount on “Red Carpet leases” for delivery by April 1.
Moreover, the monthly payment for a 36-month lease with 10,500 miles per year has dropped from US$350 to US$285 and US$930 up front, and if the car is purchased through Ford Motor Credit, it offers a 1.9 percent financing rate.
That’s because, according to a report from The Detroit News, last year sales of Ford’s all-electric compact hatchback have been abysmal. In 2012, Ford produced 1,627 units but managed to shift just 685 of them.
“We certainly are not in a situation where we have to completely discount but we do have to respond to competitive pressures”, commented Ford spokesman Wes Sherwood, adding that, “we’re not anywhere close to where Nissan has gone with the Leaf”.
Any way you slice it, the asking price is simply exorbitant for a compact hatchback by a mass-manufacturer, electric powertrain or not. The price may be dictated by the expensive technology incorporated in the Focus Electric, but buyers usually vote with their wallets – and those in the market for a 40k car, if anything, are spoiled for choice…
By Andrew Tsaousis
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