Ford Focus eV
Ford is set to unveil its’ electric version of the Ford Focus at the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show. The car pictured has been featured on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno’s “Green Car Challenge”. Ford is set to release an estimated 5,000 lithium-ion battery-powered vehicles over the next couple years with an estimated range of 100 miles. BYD Auto has a line of electric vehicles manufactured in China and backed by investor, Warren Buffet. They are set to debut an all electric crossover and a plug-in hybrid SUV at the 2011 Detroit Auto show, though they may face obstacles breaking through the made in China label with U.S. consumers.
Toyota is set to release a plug-in hybrid version of the Prius in 2012. It will work similarly to the Chevy Volt, but is anticipated to cost as much as $10,000 less at a cost of $29,900 before tax incentives. Mitsubishi could beat Toyota to the under $30,000 price point though as it plans to start selling the 2012 Mitsubishi i in the U.S. beginning fall 2011. The Mitsubishi i is currently the best selling electric car in Japan and the U.S. version will be more powerful with an average 85 mile range. Honda will enter the green car price war with the electric version of the Honda Fit in 2012, also expected, perhaps optimistically, to be priced under $30,000.
Bottom line: the electric vehicle industry is knocking on the door to tomorrow, but to gain entry the cost to consumers may need to come down by developing even more efficient battery technology or by embracing the battery switching ingenuity of Better Place to appeal to a larger market. Should be interesting to watch as the auto industry battles for the electric vehicle customer. In the meantime, if you’re not ready to take the EV plunge, then you can always take the train.
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