A couple videos of the electric Ford Focus participating in Jay Leno's celebrity Green Car Challenge have been posted ahead of Drew Barrymore's inaugural run. The first one from Ford shows the Focus BEV running through an autocross course at Ford's Michigan proving grounds. Ford says the course is modeled after the actual competition course built next to Leno's studio. Naturally, we're disappointed it's not a real road course, as is used for Top Gear's "Star in a Reasonably Priced Car" competition.
The video after the jump was apparently shot with a hand-held cam by someone from the media. It offers a look at the battery pack and electric drivetrain innards, plus some views of the interior. The cabin is not gutted, which is a bit surprising, given the 3,421-pound curb weight Ford has claimed for Leno's Focus BEV. Usually, the addition of laptop batteries adds more weight than that (a stock Focus ST 5-door is just under 3,200 lbs).
brn says:
02:30 PM, 09/18/09
This demonstrates that building and EV is something that most (all?) manufacturers should be easily capable of doing. The fact that they don't build them isn't because they don't know how. It's for other reasons.
cwc1 says:
07:55 PM, 09/18/09
They're proceeding cautiously because the business case for building them is still questionable. Those who are, are doing so for the halo effect.
kyolml says:
08:53 PM, 09/18/09
Unreasonably priced car... for the event. This kind of one of vehicle cost how much? Better fork over more $$$ than Top Gear's weapon of choice.