Currently reading: 2017 Ford Focus Electric gets more range with a bigger battery

Increased 115-mile range is possible thanks to a 33.5kWh battery; the car won’t be sold in Britain, though

An uprated Ford Focus Electric model will be launched in the US next year with increased range, thanks to a bigger-capacity battery, and DC fast-charging as standard.

The 2017 model swaps the current Focus Electric’s 23kWh battery for a 33.5kWh one, increasing the EPA-rated range by 39 miles up to a total of 115 miles.

While the Focus Electric now offers more miles per charge, it falls short of the UK-market Volkswagen e-Golf and Renault Zoe, which have claimed real-world ranges of 124 and 186 miles respectively.

The Focus Electric's 107kW electric motor is unchanged from the current car, so is expected to offer identical performance. It also looks like the car’s styling, which is only slightly different than the regular Focus, will remain unchanged from the previous model.

Ford does have Focus Electrics here in Britain, but they’re only available as fleet demonstrators, meaning they can’t be purchased by the public. A Ford spokesperson said these demonstrator models have been running for about a year, but that Ford of Britain is yet to look at the viability of selling the 2017 model here.

Specs for the US market have been shown by Electrek.

Advertisement

Read our review

Car review

Britain's biggest-selling family hatchback gets a mid-life refresh, but can the Ford Focus hold off the likes of the Volkswagen Golf and the Seat Leon?

Add a comment…