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09-18-2009, 11:12 PM
Jay Leno Sports Track-ready Custom Plug-in Electric Ford Focus
Jay Leno isn't just about comedy these days
![[Image: 12154_large_leno-electric-focus-front.jpg]](http://images.dailytech.com/nimage/12154_large_leno-electric-focus-front.jpg)
Jay Leno's moved on from The Tonight show to a new gig -- the Jay Leno Show. What does this veteran joker have to do with technology? A major segment of the new show is Jay's Green Car Challenge, a spot where Leno puts celebrities behind the wheel of a plug-in electric vehicle.
Specs of the hot retrofitted plug-in just landed, and it's looking pretty sweet. The hatchback began as a standard (non-hybrid) Ford Focus ST five-door hatchback, which rolled off an assembly line in Germany. From there it shipped to Dearborn, MI where some of Ford's best engineers electrified it.
In only six weeks they were finished. The resulting beast stands out with its vibrant orange paint job and bold decals. It is a hefty vehicle, weighing in at 3,421 pounds. Much of this weight is from the air cooling system for the batteries, and the batteries themselves -- 98 lithium ion 60 Ah cells.
The vehicle also features a pretty sporty electric motor, which puts out 141 hp (105 kW) and 235 lb-ft of torque and has a 7,500 rpm redline. The vehicle also can stop on a dime, thanks to 12.6 inch front rotors and 11 inch discs. It also features an upgrade suspension, Recaro racing seats, a full roll cage, and a five-point racing harness.
Celebrities will take the car out for test drives on a race track, competing to get the best lap time. So far only Drew Barrymore has announced her participation, but more celebs are expected to join up soon.
Despite lacking the custom Euro Focus EV's racing features, the 2011 Chevy Volt, from competitor GM, may steal some of the spotlight from the Ford vehicle. The Volt features arguably a more aggressive electric engine, which produces a reported 149 hp and runs on 111 kw. Early estimates of the torque produced were 236 ft-lb, which would put it in a dead heat with the vehicle.
The Ford Focus will be releasing the pure-electric 2012 Ford Focus EV in 2011. It will follow up with the release of a plug-in Ford Escape Hybrid, which retains some gas-driven features. Ford has been extensively researching how to make its EV's the fastest and most efficient charging models on the market.
Jay Leno isn't just about comedy these days
Jay Leno's moved on from The Tonight show to a new gig -- the Jay Leno Show. What does this veteran joker have to do with technology? A major segment of the new show is Jay's Green Car Challenge, a spot where Leno puts celebrities behind the wheel of a plug-in electric vehicle.
Specs of the hot retrofitted plug-in just landed, and it's looking pretty sweet. The hatchback began as a standard (non-hybrid) Ford Focus ST five-door hatchback, which rolled off an assembly line in Germany. From there it shipped to Dearborn, MI where some of Ford's best engineers electrified it.
In only six weeks they were finished. The resulting beast stands out with its vibrant orange paint job and bold decals. It is a hefty vehicle, weighing in at 3,421 pounds. Much of this weight is from the air cooling system for the batteries, and the batteries themselves -- 98 lithium ion 60 Ah cells.
The vehicle also features a pretty sporty electric motor, which puts out 141 hp (105 kW) and 235 lb-ft of torque and has a 7,500 rpm redline. The vehicle also can stop on a dime, thanks to 12.6 inch front rotors and 11 inch discs. It also features an upgrade suspension, Recaro racing seats, a full roll cage, and a five-point racing harness.
Celebrities will take the car out for test drives on a race track, competing to get the best lap time. So far only Drew Barrymore has announced her participation, but more celebs are expected to join up soon.
Despite lacking the custom Euro Focus EV's racing features, the 2011 Chevy Volt, from competitor GM, may steal some of the spotlight from the Ford vehicle. The Volt features arguably a more aggressive electric engine, which produces a reported 149 hp and runs on 111 kw. Early estimates of the torque produced were 236 ft-lb, which would put it in a dead heat with the vehicle.
The Ford Focus will be releasing the pure-electric 2012 Ford Focus EV in 2011. It will follow up with the release of a plug-in Ford Escape Hybrid, which retains some gas-driven features. Ford has been extensively researching how to make its EV's the fastest and most efficient charging models on the market.
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