New Electric Focus

Did Ford steal one designer from Aston before they sold them to India?

I like it, in theory.

Presuming I can take advantage of all those electric torques in a sporting manner. that is.

I'm just thinking exterior design, but I like where your heads at.

Yeah, my biggest worry about a car like that it that it's going to be totally hardwired for 100% maximum efficiency, and kill any attempts to have any fun with it.

I'd LOVE to have an electric car for my DD, but not if it's not something that would embarass itself at an autocross. Whether it's a sport button or a red key, it needs some way to put it in angry mode (preferably something that's switchable on the fly, though)

I am curious what transmission they're going to use. I'm assuming it would be a CVT?

That grill is 1000% better looking than that giant faux chrome bar thing FOMO is using now

Good question on the gearbox, I bet your right on the CVT.

I know Ford's current hybrid drive system is from Toyota.

I don't get it. Why does an all-electric make sense when there are plug-in hybrids? I mean sure, there is a niche for it, but it seems that every manufacturer is planning an electric car, if only to prove their green cred, and it sure looks like supply will outstrip demand substatntially. It's funny that a Ford exec was quoted saying that this car kicks the Volt's ass, because if so, it's within a very limited set of parameters.

Can't say it's looks set me afire either, but other than the Tesla, electric cars are a pretty homely lot. That will change however.

FlightService wrote: Good question on the gearbox, I bet your right on the CVT. I know Ford's current hybrid drive system is from Toyota.

No, it is not. Thank you very much for reading the articles so closely.

What is the same is HOW it's done. Ford and Toyota engineers worked to get to the same solution, but Toyota did it first, and got the patents. Since they did, Ford bought the license to use that technology.

the only thing that is from the same place is the battery, since the sources of that are so limited. Which is why Ford is building a plant on the west side of Michigan to build batteries.

...that this car kicks the [competition's] ass, because if so, it's within a very limited set of parameters...

And that's the electric car market summed up right there. Absolutely overfilled with marketing BS and spin.

In reply to alfadriver: What's not? The CVT, the Hybrid system? what?

I know the electric focus is a different beast but like you said, ford licensed the Fusion and Escape straight from Toyo. I know it is toyota electric setup with Ford powertrain and copycat control system. I would suspect Ford would be working on something new. The "partnership" was to get Ford up to speed and simultaneously test the hybrid market on a mass scale, (for them.)

As far as the electric Focus, I didn't read the article, I thought it looked like a fat faced Aston transplant. That was the whole point of my original comment and starting of this thread.

The Focus Electric (or a gas/diesel Focus with the Electric's grille) should have been the Cygnet, not the Toyota IQ!