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I did not have a look under the car. But I did notice that the front belly pan extended quite far back - past the motor, I believe. To be honest I didn't have much time to look at it and I was spending most of my time deciding what all the gizmos under the hood were.
Another thing is that they have programmed the car to creep like a normal automatic. As soon as you release the brake (in gear) the car starts moving with no throttle input. The throttle feels very natural. It acts exactly like an ICE car. I mean exactly - the only difference is the lack of engine noise.
The price is a big thing. One has to wonder how many years the fuel savings will take to pay for itself. One also has to factor in how long the 23kWh lithium pack will actually last and how much replacement will cost.
For me that's not the point. I wouldn't buy the car because of economic rationale, but because I would be getting a really cool car that is quiet and smooth and interesting.
Then I think about how this car would fit my needs. It would be perfect for 95% of my family's driving needs. A secondary [cheap] vehicle would take car of the rest - the long trips. But I see that Ford is releasing a PHEV version of the new Fusion in 2013 - and THAT car is probably the nicest looking sedan I have ever seen in my life. I wonder what pricing will be like on that one. A bigger car that's an EV for the first 20-30 miles and can still get me to the cabin in Osoyoos on long weekends? Hmm...
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