Under Forum Fire, Ford Reveals Limited Initial Focus EV Rollout
You know it’s time to say “Toto, I don’t think we’re in traditional journalism any more” when fanboys get better access than industry rags. In a story picked up by Automotive News [sub], myfocuselectric.com commenter whitgallman showed the auto media what can be done if you just send a few emails… as long as you make it clear that you are only interested in buying a car, not embarrassing the program. Because then, instead of languishing in some disinterested inbox, your emails actually draw a response, like this from David Finnegan, Electrified Vehicles Marketing Manager at Ford:
For the first few months of production, we will be concentrating on California and New York. Our dealers in those areas will be the first to have their retail orders scheduled and receive the Focus electric. We will be rolling out to the remainder of our initial markets starting in spring 2012.
Well, that was news to Automotive News [sub], which had been told (along with everyone else) that the Focus Electric was supposed to launch in “late 2011” in 19 US markets. So what happens to Focus EV intenders in Chicago, Detroit and Seattle (among others)? Per AN [sub]:
As for the rest of the country’s markets, no word yet from Ford, so the best advice is to be patient.
Uh-huh. We’ll send some emails ourselves, but we aren’t holding our breath for Ford to admit that, say, buying the Focus EV wholesale from a supplier may not have been a great idea. Or that there are problems with the batteries (again, hypothetically). But there I go thinking like a “traditional journalist” again…
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Ford, please put the EV's Aston Martin-esque grille on the regular Focus!
What is the big issue? The other 17 areas, including mine of Raleigh North Carolina, are delayed around 4 months (late 2011 (probably November timeframe) is now Feb-April 2012. I would rather they rolled out slightly slower than planned a year ago and get it right than stick with some arbitrary timeline (of their own choosing a while back) and cock it up.
Regular Foci are selling faster than Ford can build them. The delay could be related to a parts shortage, demand for the current standard ICE car, or delays in the rollout of charging infrastructure in some of the planned markets. There are a ton of variables here, but no matter which way you look at it, the Electric Focus is an extremely niche product, I doubt too many people are going to be heartbroken over a delay.
Not sure what the big deal is. Ford is having a delay in getting out a car that probably has very little demand and little chance of making money. By farming it out, they have actually decreased their risk with a project that is more public relations than car, and, as PR it is much less silly than the Volt, which was hyped for years, but is now almost invisible to most of the country.