Genovation Offers Electric Versions of Ford Focus (Greencar.com) 20 May '09
If you hang around long enough, there’s a pretty good likelihood that ideas will resurface in new and interesting ways. Such is the case at Genovation Cars of Rockville, Maryland (www.genovationcars.com). Under the direction of founder, president, and CEO Andrew Saul, Genovation Cars aims to give new life to pre-owned 2000-2004 Ford Focus sedans, wagons, and hatchbacks, doing away with their internal combustion powertrains and replacing them with electric drive components.
The conversion, called the Genovation G1, costs $22,000 plus tax with the vehicle delivered five months after ordering. The process starts with a $2,500 down payment and a customer's used Focus that’s in good condition and has never been in an accident. The company will provide a Focus base car for $6,000 if a customer would rather have this handled for them.
AGM lead-acid batteries are used, although there is the option of upgrading to lithium iron phosphate batteries for an additional $12,000. Genovation says that a future plug-in hybrid option will be available that adds a genset to the powerplant. The company also says it will offer a four-seat G2 hatchback constructed of ‘green’ composites and other renewable materials in 2011.
This road has been traveled before, most notably in the 1990s. One that comes to mind is Solar Electric Engineering (later known as U.S. Electricar), perhaps the most prolific upfitter of vehicles to electric drive, including the Pontiac Fiero, Chevy S-10, and Geo Prizm. Solectria Corporation also offered a number of different electric models based on the Chevy S-10 pickup and Geo Metro. And then there were some pretty big players like TDM (Troy Design and Manufacturing), a Ford Motor Company approved Quality Vehicle Modifier (QVM) that for a time retrofitted Ford Ranger pickups to electric drive.
Some of these started out as used vehicles that were refurbished and converted to electric drive. Others were brand-new ‘gliders’ – vehicles delivered to upfitters devoid of any powertrain at all to lower the cost of an electric vehicle and make the changeover more straightforward. All of these activities were most prevalent in the mid-1990s, preceding the test marketing of factory-produced electric vehicle models like the Toyota RAV4 EV, Honda EV Plus, GM EV1, Chevrolet S-10 Electric, Ford Ranger EV, and so on.
Converting cars to run on electric power is a time-honored tradition that’s not only been followed by companies seeking to offer their wares to customers, but also enthusiasts who handle such conversions in their garage. We got a good look at some of these vehicles at the recent Washington Auto Show, where members of the Electric Vehicle Club of Greater Washington DC showcased their electric car conversions in Green Car Journal’s Green Car Pavilion. While the vehicles were all different, the common thread is a desire to drive on zero-emission electric power in cars that offer all the comforts we’re used to enjoying in our daily travels. Companies like Genovation Cars offer this capability to those who do not wish to do the conversion themselves or simply lack the technical expertise. And for that, we say ‘more power to ‘em.’
