Getting behind the wheel, the Focus takes off smartly, with 143 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque offering plenty of acceleration for a compact hatch, driving the front wheels through a super-smooth automatic transmission. The ride lives up to expectations and previous Focus drives, though this one riding with a bit more cushion and body motion as the 17-inch wheels are wrapped in 225/50R17 Michelin Energy Saver low-rolling resistance tires. The ride on the highway is whisper quiet, but still feels solid, though steering and braking are a bit soft for my tastes, though everything comes together reasonably well and you can hustle it around like most any other Focus.

But this isn’t just any other Focus. Right about now, we usually prattle on about fuel efficiency, but this Focus didn’t need any gas at all, as it was the fully electric powertrain, and I did all my motoring on electricity loaded up at home, the office, or public charging stations. Filling the liquid-cooled 23 kWh lithium-ion battery will take 20 hours on household 120V outlet, or less than 4 hours on a stage 2 240V charger, which seems a logical household upgrade for anyone considering an electric vehicle. The only time I did not get a full charge overnight was when I used most of my range running errands and having family adventures on the weekend, taking it down to 14 km of its potential 140+ km range, needing a second overnight charge to top up.

Since we’re on the topic of charging, I’ll post my compliments here on one of the better charger storage solutions I’ve seen in the various plug-in vehicles I’ve tested to date. There is a hidden compartment under the in-trunk cargo box that may be a bit hard to find, but it has a fitted tray for the charger, which itself has a generously long cable. Porsche is incredibly stingy with their charging apparatus, forcing me to park its plug-in vehicles (Panamera and Cayenne – I can only dream about the type of charger they have for the 918) inches from my garage door just so it reaches the vehicle’s charging port.

While mostly hypothetical, that range seemed achievable in ideal conditions, as I was frequently able to stick to my ‘budget’ and even add range by driving moderately – not hypermiling, just dialing back my aggressive acceleration, maintaining distance and braking gradually (recapturing maximum energy), and keeping my cruising speed down. It should be noted that matching the pace of traffic on GTA’s 400-series highways often means 120+ km/h, which really starts to eat into functional range. As does the climate control – on thing I found irritating was that there was no ‘fan-only’ setting. Commuting in stop-and-go traffic  on moderately warm days seems to be just what Dr. Electro ordered.

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