Ford is cutting $4,000 from the base price of its 2014 Focus Electric model that arrive at dealers later this summer.
The 2014 Focus Electric will start $35,995, including the $795 destination charge. The Focus Electric also is eligible for the $7,500 federal tax credit and an additional $2,500 state credit in California.
Ford says it hasn’t taken away any features as part of the cut. The automaker describes the lower-price 2014 Focus Electric as “fully contented,” and says the cut was important to keep the car competitive.
Ford’s move follows Nissan’s $6,400 price cut for the base LEAF electric, announced in January. That reduced LEAF’s starting price to $29,650 including shipping.
In addition to the Nissan LEAF, the 2014 Focus Electric will also have to deal with the lower prices of smaller EVs including the, Honda Fit EV, Fiat 500e, the Chevrolet Spark EV and the Smart Fortwo ED.
Last month General Motors cut the price of the $39,995 2013 Chevrolet Volt by $4,000 to spur sluggish sales. Those incentives are in addition to a $7,500 federal tax credit and a $1,500 state tax credit for those who live in California.
Ford sold 693 Focus Electric EVs in 2012 but produced 1,627 of them. So far this year Ford has sold 900 and built 890.
Nissan LEAF deliveries in the first half of 2013 are at 9,839, and have already exceeded the sales total from all of 2012. General Motors has sold 9,855 Chevrolet Volts in the first half of 2013, up 11.8% from a year ago.
