DEARBORN, MI - Ford announced it will offer customers of its all-new Focus Electric the ability to recharge at remote locations with a standard 120V convenience cord, in addition to recharging at home with an optional wall-mounted 240V charging station.

Both types of connectors will use an industry-standard five-point plug fitted with an ergonomic Ford-branded handle specially designed for comfort and durable daily use.

The difference between the Focus Electric's cord and most household electrical plugs is that it has five pins on the end that connects to the vehicles, including one that communicates with the vehicle about the type of electrical current (120V or 240V) it is requesting and another pin that deactivates the current when the user disconnects the plug from the charge port.

The convenience cord will be 25-feet-long, making it long enough to reach the nearest outlet, eliminating the need for an extension cord, according to Ford. When not in use, the user can spool the cord around a special oval-shaped holder that also accommodates the cord's control box. The spooled cord will have a designated spot in the vehicle's trunk.

A full recharge is expected to take six to eight hours with a 240V charge station or more than 12 hours with a 120V convenience cord set. When fully charged, Focus Electric is expected to deliver up to 100 miles of gas-free driving.  

Ford tested a variety of plug handle prototypes as part of an ergonomic study to help determine plug handle design, as well as charge port height and insertion angle. The team benchmarked Craftsmantools and considered the attributes of such disparate products as Apple mobile electronics and OXO Good Grips kitchen utensils.

The plug handle uses a matte-finished blue rubber that allows for a comfortable, non-slip grip and the plug head is shielded with a glossy white hard plastic to protect the electronics.