Ty Newell of Illinois celebrated becoming one of the first retail customers for the Ford Focus Electric by recreating one of the country’s earliest automotive road trips.
After taking delivery of the Focus Electric from Hassett Ford in Wantagh, N.Y., Newell and his wife decided to drive it to the Ford Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, Mich. where it was built.
The trip reversed the course of a trip completed by Roy Chapin between October 29 and November 5, 1901 when he became the first person to drive a car from Detroit to New York. William Chapin, president of the Automotive Hall of Fame in Dearborn and grandson of Roy, met up with the Newells at the plant to congratulate them.
2012 Ford Focus Electric is available in California, New York and New Jersey. By fall 2012, Focus Electric becomes available in 19 markets across the United States followed by nationwide availability by the end of the year.
2012 Ford Focus Electric Specifications:
– Drive Type: Front-wheel-drive
– Seating Capacity: 5
– Base Price: $39,200
– Powertrain: 100-kilowatt electric-motor making 143-hp and 184 lb-ft of torque
– Transmission: Single-speed automatic
– 0 to 60 mph: 10 seconds
– Top Speed: 84 mph
– Electric Range: 100 miles
– Charge Time: 4 hours on 240 volts and 20 hours on a standard 120-volt outlet
– Curb Weight: 3,624 lbs
– Fuel-economy (city/highway/combined): 110/99/105 MPGe[wzslider height=”400″ lightbox=”true”]
