Which EV to replace a Ford Focus in Belgium? | MVE

The Ford Focus has a well-deserved reputation: it's the compact that does everything well without excelling at anything. Good boot, good handling, comfortable on the motorway, honest price. It's precisely this profile that makes it popular in Belgium, and it's also what complicates the electric transition. Versatile EVs that sacrifice nothing do exist, but they cost more.

What Focus drivers really expect

Before talking about models, we need to understand why people choose a Focus. It's not for the driving thrills, not for the prestige, not for maximum space. It's for versatility without any obvious compromise.

Controlled size at 4.37 m. Usable boot of 375 L, or 1,502 L in estate version. Enough power to overtake comfortably at 130 km/h on the E19. Suspension that absorbs Brussels cobblestones without shaking rear passengers. And diesel consumption that let you do Brussels-Liège-Brussels without even glancing at the gauge.

The EV that properly replaces a Focus must tick these same boxes, not just be "in the same segment".

The three serious candidates

Peugeot e-308 (77 kWh) is the most direct choice. 4.37 m, exactly the same length as the Focus. Boot of 412 L, slightly larger. The Peugeot i-Cockpit divides opinion, but in terms of interior space and ride comfort, it's the closest competitor. Real range runs between 410 and 450 km in mixed Belgian use, with a coefficient of 0.78 on WLTP. It comes as an SW estate (548 L) since 2025, something the electric Focus never was.

Price: around €42,000-47,000 depending on trim. On a company lease, 100% deductibility in 2026 makes the monthly amount more digestible than it looks.

Renault Mégane E-Tech (87 kWh) is the best choice if you regularly make 300-400 km trips. Real range exceeds 440 km in mixed use, with very low consumption for its size (14-16 kWh/100 km urban). The interior is modern and well-built. The 440 L boot is honest, but the electric estate version doesn't exist yet.

What distinguishes it from the Focus: a real difference in ride comfort, especially on the motorway. Quieter, more settled. Less driving feel, but more comfortable over 200 km of E40.

Volkswagen ID.3 (77 kWh) is for drivers who really enjoyed piloting their Focus. Well-tuned chassis, precise steering, regenerative braking that quickly becomes second nature. The boot (385 L) is slightly below the Focus, but still usable. Real range of around 420-450 km is more than sufficient for a week of Brussels commuting.

Its main drawback: the VW software interface, less intuitive than Peugeot or Renault in daily use. OTA updates are progressing, but the gap with Tesla remains visible.

What you lose and what you gain

You lose the freedom to fill up anywhere in 3 minutes. If you work in areas without public chargers and you don't have a home charger, switching to electric requires genuine prior thought.

You gain a much lower cost per kilometre: with overnight home charging in Belgium (€0.22-0.28/kWh off-peak), 100 km costs between €3 and €5. Versus €9 to €11 with a Focus 1.5 TDCi. Over 20,000 km/year, the gap exceeds €1,200 per year on energy alone.

Maintenance is also significantly simplified: no oil change, no timing belt, no particulate filter. A brake fluid replacement every two years and tyres. That's it, or nearly.

My recommendation

If your Focus was mainly a daily commuter with a few long trips per month, the Mégane E-Tech 87 kWh is the best replacement: comfortable range, low consumption, accessible price. If you did a lot of loaded weekends (bikes, skis, camping), look at the e-308 SW: it fills exactly the gap left by the absence of electric estates in the Belgian market.

Frequently asked questions

Why is the Ford Focus difficult to replace with an electric car?

The Focus combines qualities that are rare in a single model: a 375 L boot without being huge, good handling, motorway comfort, reasonable price. Most compact EVs sacrifice either the boot, the handling, or the price. The Peugeot e-308 is the only one to tick all boxes in the same size (4.37 m, 412 L).

Does the Renault Mégane E-Tech have a comparable boot to the Ford Focus?

Slightly less: 440 L for the Mégane E-Tech versus 375 L for the Focus hatchback (or 1,502 L open boot for the Focus SW). The Mégane E-Tech estate doesn't exist in electric, which can be a blocker for families with sports equipment. If load volume is key, look at the Peugeot e-308 SW or the Skoda Enyaq 60.

What real range do you need to replace a diesel or petrol Focus?

A driver who was doing 700 km/week with a Focus 1.5 TDCi (55 L tank every 1,100 km) needs an EV that easily lasts a week without a long charge. With 77 kWh and 420-450 km real range in mixed use, charging at home every night, that's comfortable. The Focus didn't need to do 1,000 km in one go, and neither does the EV.

Is the Peugeot e-308 really comparable to the Focus?

Almost identical size (4.37 m vs 4.37 m). Superior boot (412 L vs 375 L). Comparable comfort on the E40. The main advantage of the e-308 over the Focus: it comes as an SW estate (548 L) since 2025, something the Ford never offered. Downside: the e-308 77 kWh exceeds €42,000, i.e. €8,000 to €12,000 more than a new Focus. Company car tax deductibility recovers part of the gap.

Does Ford offer an electric equivalent to the Focus?

No, not directly. The Ford Explorer Electric (based on the VW MEB platform) is a 4.47 m SUV, not a compact hatchback. The Focus was discontinued in its electric version. If you want to stay with Ford, the Explorer Electric or the Puma Gen-E (compact SUV) are the current options, but these are different profiles.

Can the VW ID.3 replace a Focus for long Belgian trips?

Yes, in both versions. The ID.3 58 kWh (330-360 km real range) is sufficient for the majority of Belgian use cases with home charging. The ID.3 77 kWh (420-450 km real range) suits heavy users and trips like Brussels-Luxembourg or Brussels-Paris. Handling slightly better than the Focus, well-calibrated regenerative braking, more minimalist interior.

Do you need a home charger to switch from a Focus to an EV?

Yes, strongly recommended. A 7.4 kW charger (installation between €600 and €1,200 depending on complexity) turns charging into a routine as simple as filling up a Focus. With a 77 kWh battery and 8 hours of overnight charging, you recover 55 kWh, i.e. 350-380 km. For the vast majority of Focus drivers (daily commute + weekends), that is more than enough.

Which electric car to replace a Ford Focus in Belgium?