Rooftop solar package option for Ford Focus Electric

Ford in the US has announced a deal with Californian solar systems specialist SunPower to add a rooftop solar power package to the options list for its Focus Electric EV due to go on sale later this year.

Part of Ford's 'Drive Green for Life' program, the SunPower system will offset the vehicle's drain on the electricity grid by replacing it with similar quantities of clean, renewable energy.

The 2.5kW rooftop system comprises a compact, high-efficiency solar panel array good for an average 3000kWh a year – enough, the pair claim, to offset a driving average of about 1000 miles (1600km) a month.

The system will be available at 'a base price of less than $10,000 after federal tax credits', and possibly considerably less in areas subject to further local and state rebates. It includes a residential monitoring feature allowing users to track system performance online, including through an iPhone app.

One of the US's larger solar systems manufacturers, SunPower has more than 400 dealers across that country and the global reach to support the Drive Green offer through the markets to which the Focus Electric will initially ship worldwide.

Focus buyers expressing interest to their Ford dealer will be contacted by a separate SunPower retailer to complete the deal and organise installation.

The Focus Electric uses a 23kWh liquid cooled lithium-ion battery pack good for up to 160 kilometres at speeds of up to 135km/h.

A major selling point for the car, with its sophisticated thermal battery management system, is its 3-4 hour recharge time from a standard 240V domestic outlet – a 2-4 advantage over most competitors.

The car will roll out into 19 international markets, starting with the US, from Q4 this year.

Ford's local GM of marketing, David Katic, says the company is looking at the Focus Electric but is some way off any announcement either way.
"Obviously we're aware that buyer interest is growing for cars with low fuel consumption, and on that count it doesn't get any better than a zero-consumption, zero-emissions vehicle like the Focus Electric. But it's too far off yet to confirm or otherwise."

Next year and 2013 will see a rapid expansion of Ford's electric lineup, with the SunPower deal looking set to grow in parallel. The pair have announced the rooftop solar package will also be compatible with Ford's C-MAX Energi PHEV, due out in 2012. It will likely marry with more of the five EVs set for launch with the Blue Oval badge in North America by 2012 and in Europe in 2013.

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