Ford hybrid sales have exploded over the past year as the Blue Oval added several electrified models to its lineup. Leading Ford’s hybrid charge was the Ford Fusion Energi and C-Max Energi, two plug-in hybrids that could soon be joined by a third model, the Focus Energi, which will offer a longer electric driving range and a lower price.
The Ford Focus Energi is rumored to debut when Ford unveils a refreshed look for the popular hatchback. It will likely share the same 2.0 liter, Atkinson cycle engine as the C-Max Energi and Fusion Energi, but could go up two 25 miles on just electricity, versus the 21 miles in the C-Max and Fusion. This could be from improved battery chemistry, motors, or just being a smaller lighter car. This will be yet another variation on the Focus line, which already includes the 247 horsepower Focus ST and the Focus Electric with a 76-mile EPA rating.
More important though is the rumored price tag of $27,000, which would make it one of the most affordable plug-in hybrids on the market. The Ford C-Max Energi starts at $32,920 and the Fusion Energi starts at $34,700, but both can utilize $3,750 of the $7,500 Federal Tax Credit, bringing the price down to $29,170 and $30,950 respectively.
If you gave the Focus Energi a starting price of $27,000, the effective price would be under $24,000, which leads me to believe the $27,000 price is probably after the tax credit is applied. But maybe Ford will surprise us all with an even more affordable plug-in hybrid, and they did just slash $4,000 from the price of the Focus Electric. A mid-$20,000 plug-in hybrid would be lovely, wouldn’t it?
http://cleantechnica.com/2014/01/25/27000-ford-focus-energi-sound/
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