From Ford.com:
•Ford will quickly expand availability of the just-launched rear inflatable seat belts by offering them on the Ford Flex and on Lincoln vehicles starting next summer
•The industry-first rear inflatable seat belts are designed to reduce head and neck injuries for rear seat passengers, especially children and older people
•The advanced restraint system debuted on the 2011 Ford Explorer
•Flex is one of 12 Ford Motor Company vehicles to have earned Top Safety Pick ratings from IIHS; Ford has the most top U.S. safety ratings of any automaker ever
“This advanced restraint system is designed to help reduce head, neck and chest injuries for rear seat passengers, often children and older passengers who can be more vulnerable to such injuries,” said Sue Cischke, Ford group vice president of Sustainability, Environment and Safety Engineering. “Expanding the rollout of this technology is another example of Ford leading the way to enhance vehicle safety for our customers.”
The addition of the inflatable rear seat belts to Flex builds on the Top Safety Pick ratings the vehicle recently earned from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Ford plans to continue offering the inflatable belts affordably after launching them on the new Explorer.
Early data show approximately 40 percent of Explorer buyers are parents who are ordering the rear inflatable belts, said Amy Marentic, Car and Crossover Group marketing manager.
“The addition of inflatable belts enhances Ford’s well-earned reputation of adding technology that enables safety,” she said. “This is especially important to customers of products such as Explorer, which often serve large families who are looking for that extra peace of mind found in technology like inflatable belts.”
Read entire article here.
Stop by Lakewood Fordland to learn more about the inflatable rear seat belt option.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Monday, June 27, 2011
kbb.bom Names Ford Vehicles to Coolest List
From Ford.com:
Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com editors have compiled their 2011 Top 10 Coolest New Cars Under $18,000 list and two Ford vehicles have made the cut. The “Euro-sweetened 2012 Focus,” kbb.com says, offers “head-turning looks, sporty handling and a healthy standard equipment list in an efficient and affordable package.” And the editors expect the 2011 Fiesta will be a perennial favorite: “Its European looks and well-crafted interior outclass everything else in the category, and its sharp driving dynamics and nimble handling impress us every time we get behind the wheel.” Read the entire press release here.
Learn more about Ford's vehicles at Lakewood Fordland.
Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com editors have compiled their 2011 Top 10 Coolest New Cars Under $18,000 list and two Ford vehicles have made the cut. The “Euro-sweetened 2012 Focus,” kbb.com says, offers “head-turning looks, sporty handling and a healthy standard equipment list in an efficient and affordable package.” And the editors expect the 2011 Fiesta will be a perennial favorite: “Its European looks and well-crafted interior outclass everything else in the category, and its sharp driving dynamics and nimble handling impress us every time we get behind the wheel.” Read the entire press release here.
Learn more about Ford's vehicles at Lakewood Fordland.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Fuel Economy Key in Vehicle Purchase
From Ford.com:
•42 percent of all consumers surveyed in a 2011 Maritz Research study say fuel economy is an “extremely important” new vehicle purchase driver – up 13.5 percent versus a decade ago; Millennials rank its importance even higher and rate it most often as having the “greatest impact” on future vehicle purchases
•Fuel economy as a reason to purchase has jumped in importance across nearly all vehicle segments since 2001, becoming even more important for small vehicles
•12 Ford and Lincoln vehicles lead their sales segments in fuel economy, and four models deliver 40 mpg or better – a claim no other full-line automaker can match
More than 40 percent of consumers view fuel economy as “extremely important” when considering a new vehicle purchase today, a new study finds.
What’s more, one third of consumers say fuel economy will have the “greatest impact” on their next vehicle purchase, and younger buyers place an even higher priority on miles per gallon.
“Customers are telling us clean and green vehicles matter most because they are good for people’s wallets and good for our planet,” said Mark Fields, Ford president of The Americas. “We hear what they are saying, and that is why Ford is absolutely committed to giving our customers vehicles with top fuel efficiency.”
Read entire article here.
Learn more about Ford's fuel-efficient vehicles at Lakewood Fordland.
•42 percent of all consumers surveyed in a 2011 Maritz Research study say fuel economy is an “extremely important” new vehicle purchase driver – up 13.5 percent versus a decade ago; Millennials rank its importance even higher and rate it most often as having the “greatest impact” on future vehicle purchases
•Fuel economy as a reason to purchase has jumped in importance across nearly all vehicle segments since 2001, becoming even more important for small vehicles
•12 Ford and Lincoln vehicles lead their sales segments in fuel economy, and four models deliver 40 mpg or better – a claim no other full-line automaker can match
More than 40 percent of consumers view fuel economy as “extremely important” when considering a new vehicle purchase today, a new study finds.
What’s more, one third of consumers say fuel economy will have the “greatest impact” on their next vehicle purchase, and younger buyers place an even higher priority on miles per gallon.
“Customers are telling us clean and green vehicles matter most because they are good for people’s wallets and good for our planet,” said Mark Fields, Ford president of The Americas. “We hear what they are saying, and that is why Ford is absolutely committed to giving our customers vehicles with top fuel efficiency.”
Read entire article here.
Learn more about Ford's fuel-efficient vehicles at Lakewood Fordland.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Ford's SYNC Offers Fantasy Baseball Updates
From Ford.com:
•Ford SYNC®, the company’s award-winning hands-free in-vehicle connectivity technology, offers access to an on-demand weekly fantasy baseball update through available Traffic, Directions and Information Services
•Drivers can get a list of weekly hitting and pitching leaders in both the American League and National League using simple voice commands
•SYNC Services is an off-board network of voice-requested features, connected via a customer’s cellphone, including directions, traffic, business search, weather, news, sports scores, stock quotes, horoscopes and movie listings – all free for the first three years of vehicle ownership
Using a properly paired Bluetooth®-enabled phone with an active SYNC Services account, Ford owners can receive weekly player updates to find out who’s hot and who’s not. Once connected to Services, the driver simply says “Sports,” then “Baseball” then “Fantasy Update.” The weekly leaders in both the American League and National League are then read out aloud, along with hitting statistics including batting average, home runs, RBIs, stolen bases and runs scored. Pitching statistics include records, saves and strikeouts.
“It’s been estimated that nearly 7 million people play fantasy baseball, and all of them scramble to get any kind of information about the very best players they should be putting in their lineups,” said David Gersabeck, SYNC Services product manager. “This is all about giving our customers what they want. The Fantasy Update feature on SYNC gives our customers fantasy baseball updates quickly and concisely using easy voice commands.”
No longer do fantasy baseball players need to pore through pages of statistics and articles to find out who they should be adding – and dropping – from their fantasy team. SYNC Services users simply press the voice button and say the command “Services” to access a wide range of cloud-based on-demand voice-activated features and information, including turn-by-turn navigation, business search, traffic, news coverage, sports reports, weather forecasts and even horoscopes and stock prices. The most recent additions to the Services network include movie listings and travel information, offering a direct connection to 150 airlines, 50 hotel chains and 11 of the largest rental car companies in the U.S.
Read entire article here.
Learn more about Ford's SYNC-equipped vehicles at Lakewood Fordland.
•Ford SYNC®, the company’s award-winning hands-free in-vehicle connectivity technology, offers access to an on-demand weekly fantasy baseball update through available Traffic, Directions and Information Services
•Drivers can get a list of weekly hitting and pitching leaders in both the American League and National League using simple voice commands
•SYNC Services is an off-board network of voice-requested features, connected via a customer’s cellphone, including directions, traffic, business search, weather, news, sports scores, stock quotes, horoscopes and movie listings – all free for the first three years of vehicle ownership
Using a properly paired Bluetooth®-enabled phone with an active SYNC Services account, Ford owners can receive weekly player updates to find out who’s hot and who’s not. Once connected to Services, the driver simply says “Sports,” then “Baseball” then “Fantasy Update.” The weekly leaders in both the American League and National League are then read out aloud, along with hitting statistics including batting average, home runs, RBIs, stolen bases and runs scored. Pitching statistics include records, saves and strikeouts.
“It’s been estimated that nearly 7 million people play fantasy baseball, and all of them scramble to get any kind of information about the very best players they should be putting in their lineups,” said David Gersabeck, SYNC Services product manager. “This is all about giving our customers what they want. The Fantasy Update feature on SYNC gives our customers fantasy baseball updates quickly and concisely using easy voice commands.”
No longer do fantasy baseball players need to pore through pages of statistics and articles to find out who they should be adding – and dropping – from their fantasy team. SYNC Services users simply press the voice button and say the command “Services” to access a wide range of cloud-based on-demand voice-activated features and information, including turn-by-turn navigation, business search, traffic, news coverage, sports reports, weather forecasts and even horoscopes and stock prices. The most recent additions to the Services network include movie listings and travel information, offering a direct connection to 150 airlines, 50 hotel chains and 11 of the largest rental car companies in the U.S.
Read entire article here.
Learn more about Ford's SYNC-equipped vehicles at Lakewood Fordland.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Ford to Triple Production of Electrified Vehicles by 2013
From Ford.com:
•Ford to triple production capacity of electrified vehicles in North America by 2013, investing in even more C-MAX Hybrid and C-MAX Energi plug-in hybrid vehicles
•Expanding production capacity of electrified C-MAX lineup brings a stronger business case than introducing gasoline-powered seven-passenger vehicle in North America
•Ford adding more than 220 green technology jobs in Michigan, including total of 170 at Rawsonville and Van Dyke Transmission plants, plus more than 50 new electrified-vehicle engineers based in Dearborn in the past year
•Production of all-new C-MAX Energi plug-in hybrid and C-MAX Hybrid scheduled to begin at Michigan Assembly Plant in 2012, with locally sourced battery packs and electric drive transaxles built by Michigan workers
Read entire article here.
Stop by Lakewood Fordland to learn more about Ford's fuel-efficient vehicle options.
•Ford to triple production capacity of electrified vehicles in North America by 2013, investing in even more C-MAX Hybrid and C-MAX Energi plug-in hybrid vehicles
•Expanding production capacity of electrified C-MAX lineup brings a stronger business case than introducing gasoline-powered seven-passenger vehicle in North America
•Ford adding more than 220 green technology jobs in Michigan, including total of 170 at Rawsonville and Van Dyke Transmission plants, plus more than 50 new electrified-vehicle engineers based in Dearborn in the past year
•Production of all-new C-MAX Energi plug-in hybrid and C-MAX Hybrid scheduled to begin at Michigan Assembly Plant in 2012, with locally sourced battery packs and electric drive transaxles built by Michigan workers
Read entire article here.
Stop by Lakewood Fordland to learn more about Ford's fuel-efficient vehicle options.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Ford Focus Electric Keeps Its Cool
•Ford’s use of an advanced active liquid-cooling and heating system in its Focus Electric lithium-ion battery packs will provide customers in hot climates an advantage over competitive models
•When charging or being used, the battery is cooled by an integrated cooling system using a “chiller” to lower the temperature of the coolant going through the battery when needed
•Ford’s aggressive electrification strategy includes the launch of five electrified vehicles in North America by 2012 and Europe by 2013. The new Focus Electric – the company’s first all-electric passenger car – is a zero-emissions, gasoline-free version of Ford’s popular global Focus model
Read entire article here.
Learn more about the Ford Focus Electric at Lakewood Fordland.
Monday, June 6, 2011
Motor Trend Offers Long-Term Review of Ford Fusion Hybrid
From Motor Trend (2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid Year-Long Review):
How times change. It wasn't long ago that the consensus of the esteemed experts in our business was that America was no longer able to build an affordable, well-constructed sedan. Lengthy editorial columns were devoted to the problem, all pretty much saying we'd abandoned what was perhaps the seminal product of the 20th century, the thing that made Ike's Interstate highway system make sense, and together, modern America.
The skillset had been quietly sold off, subcontracted, outsourced, lost somewhere in the paperwork while Detroit refocused on more important things, like rebate schemes. Cradling their heads in their hands, my knowing colleagues lamented, "Why can't this country build a Camry or an Accord?"
Well, it turns out they're right. We can't build a Camry or an Accord. No, to everyone's surprise, the folks in Dearborn created something maybe even better, the Ford Fusion Hybrid-such as the light ice-blue metallic one before you that recently concluded its 12-month stay here.
To cut to the chase, it whined and regen'd and cut the engine at stops (and restarted it) and all those other hybrid things for 23,475 faultless miles.
It also did something extraordinary for a Motor Trend long-termer: When it left, we actually liked it better than when it arrived. And when our weekly signout sheet of test cars finally appeared without the Fusion's name, many of us muttered "nuts" and "heck" and occasionally worse.
We've had plenty of American long-term cars around here, and even if they didn't expensively fail big time, or inexpensively small time, by return time they were old beyond their age. There's a disease called Werner syndrome that causes terribly accelerated aging in humans. For a while, its automotive strain was absolutely epidemic in Detroit.
However, our Fusion aged better than gracefully. And that includes, you perceptively ask, its newfangled electromechanical hybrid bits. There wasn't a single problem. Nada. Which brings us to the point in the program where we normally roll up our sleeves and go into all the gory details about what went wrong and the horrifying costs. And so here goes for the Fusion Hybrid: (cue thunder bolts and whistling winds).
The oil was changed three times, as were the tires rotated. Two hundred and eighteen bucks and eighteen cents. That was it.
Read entire article here.
Visit Lakewood Fordland to find out more about the Ford Fusion Hybrid.
Ford Adds New Fuel-Saving Engine & Transmission to Lineup
From Ford.com:
•Newest EcoBoost™ engine, Ford’s first three-cylinder, to be launched globally in Ford small cars
•New engine will deliver performance of a larger four-cylinder with even higher fuel economy
•Ford announces first eight-speed automatic transmission for future vehicles
•The first Ford-designed, Ford-engineered and Ford-built hybrid transmission begins production late this year; Ford expects to be largest domestic producer of hybrid transmissions by next spring
Ford is expanding its industry-leading range of fuel-efficient powertrains in North America with the addition of a new 1.0-liter EcoBoost™ three-cylinder – the smallest engine Ford has ever built – and an all-new eight-speed automatic transmission.
In addition, Ford’s next generation of hybrid vehicles, including a new plug-in hybrid that will launch next year, will have a Ford-engineered transmission that will be built in Michigan.
The arrival of the latest member of the EcoBoost family, Ford’s first eight-speed automatic and its new hybrid transmission will further strengthen the company’s lineup of fuel-efficient vehicles. Today, Ford Motor Company has 12 vehicles that lead their sales segments in fuel economy and four vehicles that deliver at least 40 mpg, a lineup no other automaker can match.
“In the last five years, we have made a record investment in new powertrains and fuel-saving technologies,” said Derrick Kuzak, Ford group vice president of Global Product Development. “Today, we have the freshest powertrain lineup in the industry. And there is plenty more coming.”
Read entire article here.
Stop by Lakewood Fordland to learn more about Ford's fuel-saving options.
•Newest EcoBoost™ engine, Ford’s first three-cylinder, to be launched globally in Ford small cars
•New engine will deliver performance of a larger four-cylinder with even higher fuel economy
•Ford announces first eight-speed automatic transmission for future vehicles
•The first Ford-designed, Ford-engineered and Ford-built hybrid transmission begins production late this year; Ford expects to be largest domestic producer of hybrid transmissions by next spring
Ford is expanding its industry-leading range of fuel-efficient powertrains in North America with the addition of a new 1.0-liter EcoBoost™ three-cylinder – the smallest engine Ford has ever built – and an all-new eight-speed automatic transmission.
In addition, Ford’s next generation of hybrid vehicles, including a new plug-in hybrid that will launch next year, will have a Ford-engineered transmission that will be built in Michigan.
The arrival of the latest member of the EcoBoost family, Ford’s first eight-speed automatic and its new hybrid transmission will further strengthen the company’s lineup of fuel-efficient vehicles. Today, Ford Motor Company has 12 vehicles that lead their sales segments in fuel economy and four vehicles that deliver at least 40 mpg, a lineup no other automaker can match.
“In the last five years, we have made a record investment in new powertrains and fuel-saving technologies,” said Derrick Kuzak, Ford group vice president of Global Product Development. “Today, we have the freshest powertrain lineup in the industry. And there is plenty more coming.”
Read entire article here.
Stop by Lakewood Fordland to learn more about Ford's fuel-saving options.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Ford Receives Prestigious Department of Defense Award
From Ford.com:
Ford Motor Company is being honored with the 2011 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award. Sponsored by the National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), the Freedom Award is the highest honor bestowed upon America's employers who provide exceptional support to their employees serving in the National Guard and Reserve.
Ford is one of 15 companies nationwide to be selected for this prestigious award. More than 4,000 nominations were submitted this year.
“We are proud of our employees who serve in the National Guard and Reserve and it is our privilege to support them,” said Mike Bannister, Ford executive vice president, chairman and CEO of Ford Motor Credit Company, and executive champion of the Ford Veterans Network Group. “We thank ESGR and the Department of Defense for this recognition. We appreciate the honor, and we deeply appreciate all the men and women involved in military service.”
The Freedom Award, now in its 16th year, is the highest in a series of employer recognition awards given by the Department of Defense. “To stand out among the many thousands of employers who firmly support our Citizen Warriors is a testament to the remarkable efforts of these 15 recipients,” said Dennis McCarthy, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs. "On behalf of the Department of Defense, I congratulate the 2011 honorees and thank them for serving as outstanding partners in our nation's defense.”
Ford received a total of six nominations. One nomination was submitted by Todd Brooks, an employee currently serving in the Navy Reserve. “Ford makes service to our country much easier. From senior leadership all they way down the ladder, they understand the necessity of the citizen soldier and the difficulties their loved ones face as a result of their commitment,” said Brooks, an engineering supervisor, Body, Chassis & Steering Test Labs. “Ford really gets it. Truly it is One Team and for that we are ever so grateful.”
The Freedom Award recognizes employers for the formal and informal initiatives they put in place for Guard and Reserve employees and their families. For example, Ford currently offers differential pay for its employees on active duty. In the U.S. there are approximately 700 Reservists and Guardsmen employed by the company along with more than 7,000 veterans. Ford currently has nearly 30 employees actively serving in the military
Read entire article here.
Ford Motor Company is being honored with the 2011 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award. Sponsored by the National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), the Freedom Award is the highest honor bestowed upon America's employers who provide exceptional support to their employees serving in the National Guard and Reserve.
Ford is one of 15 companies nationwide to be selected for this prestigious award. More than 4,000 nominations were submitted this year.
“We are proud of our employees who serve in the National Guard and Reserve and it is our privilege to support them,” said Mike Bannister, Ford executive vice president, chairman and CEO of Ford Motor Credit Company, and executive champion of the Ford Veterans Network Group. “We thank ESGR and the Department of Defense for this recognition. We appreciate the honor, and we deeply appreciate all the men and women involved in military service.”
The Freedom Award, now in its 16th year, is the highest in a series of employer recognition awards given by the Department of Defense. “To stand out among the many thousands of employers who firmly support our Citizen Warriors is a testament to the remarkable efforts of these 15 recipients,” said Dennis McCarthy, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs. "On behalf of the Department of Defense, I congratulate the 2011 honorees and thank them for serving as outstanding partners in our nation's defense.”
Ford received a total of six nominations. One nomination was submitted by Todd Brooks, an employee currently serving in the Navy Reserve. “Ford makes service to our country much easier. From senior leadership all they way down the ladder, they understand the necessity of the citizen soldier and the difficulties their loved ones face as a result of their commitment,” said Brooks, an engineering supervisor, Body, Chassis & Steering Test Labs. “Ford really gets it. Truly it is One Team and for that we are ever so grateful.”
The Freedom Award recognizes employers for the formal and informal initiatives they put in place for Guard and Reserve employees and their families. For example, Ford currently offers differential pay for its employees on active duty. In the U.S. there are approximately 700 Reservists and Guardsmen employed by the company along with more than 7,000 veterans. Ford currently has nearly 30 employees actively serving in the military
Read entire article here.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Ford Identifies Optimal Electric Vehicle Charge Port Location
From Ford.com:
•Ford engineers researched several locations for the Focus Electric and C-MAX Energi charge ports to ensure the port was in the best possible place for customer use
•The team used market research studies to identify consumer expectations about how owners would charge the vehicle
•The front and rear of the vehicle were determined as unsuitable locations for the charge port because they are areas with high risk of damage in small crashes
•Ford’s aggressive electrification strategy includes the launch of five electrified vehicles in North America by 2012 and Europe by 2013
Read entire article here.
•Ford engineers researched several locations for the Focus Electric and C-MAX Energi charge ports to ensure the port was in the best possible place for customer use
•The team used market research studies to identify consumer expectations about how owners would charge the vehicle
•The front and rear of the vehicle were determined as unsuitable locations for the charge port because they are areas with high risk of damage in small crashes
•Ford’s aggressive electrification strategy includes the launch of five electrified vehicles in North America by 2012 and Europe by 2013
Read entire article here.
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