2017 Ford Focus Electric vs. Its Competition

John Voelcker

With a longer range and available DC fast-charging at last, the 2017 Ford Focus Electric is a more competitive electric car than it's been in several years.

But it's still sold only in small numbers, and in just a handful of markets.

By far its biggest competitor is the Chevy Bolt EV, whose 238-mile range rating is twice that of the electric Focus.

The Bolt EV's range equals that of many Teslas, in fact, at half the price, and that lone will likely catapult it to the top of the electric-car list.

More comparable to the Ford is the Nissan Leaf, by far the world's highest-volume electric car.

The Leaf now has 107 miles of range—though its styling is polarizing, whereas the electric Focus is entirely invisible.

So is another converted gasoline model, the Volkswagen e-Golf, which gets its own range boost to 124 miles this year.

As for plug-in hybrids, the Chevy Volt offers half the electric range of the Focus, eliminates range anxiety entirely, and adds a dash of sporty new styling to boot.

Ford's own C-Max Energi plug-in hybrid hatchback offers 19 miles of electric range with gasoline backup, but its load bay too is compromised by the battery pack located underneath.