Entries Tagged 'ford' ↓

Of all the electric vehicles I saw, drove, or rode in earlier this month at the Electric Drive Transportation Association’s (EDTA) 2008 conference in Washington DC, none can have as immediate and important an impact as Smith Electric’s “Edison” … this electrified Ford Transit van has the potential to revolutionize local delivery for a wide range of firms, both small and large. The Ford Transit goes toe-to-toe with the venerable Sprinter for sheer versatility, offering a remarkable amount of cargo and head room.

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While the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid won’t start rolling off assembly line until late winter, I had the chance to drive a pre-production version yesterday at a Ford media event. The ride was brief, but eye-opening. With temperatures hovering in the twenties, I was able to coax 40.5 miles per gallon (MPG) out of the Fusion Hybrid in my first (and only) twenty minutes or so of driving through the suburbs and highways around Dearborn, Michigan.

Seeing that the Fusion Hybrid will glide under electric power up to 47 miles per hour, I’d reckon that I’ll be able to get a production version into mid-forty MPG range with ease. A bit more time in the saddle and I’ll have it figured out. (To prove my numbers weren’t a fluke, my co-driver — a two-time Prius owner — was able to top my result by a mile or so, after discovering a simple technique to provoke electric drive.)

The competition for the Toyota Camry Hybrid just got a whole lot tougher. The Fusion Hybrid has a sporty edge to it, with crisp lines and an industry leading dashboard display that takes economical driving to the next level.

It’s not just good. It’s really good.

For everyone that wants to put Detroit down for not keeping up with the times … they simply haven’t seen or driven the Ford Fusion Hybrid … yet.

For all of its simplicity and technological wizardry, Microsoft’s Sync audio system can be tough to explain to the uninitiated. “Have you ever been experienced,” Jimi sang … and though, well, I have … I’ve had a tricky time concisely explaining exactly how Sync works in the past.

Thankfully, the brilliant folks at Common Craft have made it all easy to understand.

While my Sync experience has been limited to the audio capabilities (I didn’t have a Bluetooth capable phone until well after I reviewed the Ford Focus, Ford Edge, and Ford Fusion this past spring), Common Craft’s piece explains how Sync delivers complete control of your mobile phone as well as your digital music player.

Needless to say, I’m looking forward to reviewing my next Ford, so I can have the Sync system place my calls, and read my text messages aloud as I’m rolling up the miles.

The Sync system is a big plus for anyone considering a Ford, Lincoln, or Mercury vehicle. Ford’s advantage over its many rivals is not likely to last indefinitely. As I learned first hand at SEMA last week, Microsoft is putting a good bit of effort into developing their in-car software (of which Sync is just a part), and is destined to own a market where all fear to tread.

Make no mistake about it. Microsoft isn’t likely to have a significant rival in the dashboard space: not Apple, not Google, not Yahoo, not open-source. The opportunity rests unchallenged in Microsoft’s hands.

For more detail on the Sync system, check out this segment I did recently with my pal Gary Rosenzweig at MacMost.com:

Of all the vehicles shown at SEMA 2008, PML Flightlink’s electric Ford F-150 sits proudly at the top of the hill when it comes to pure innovation. Don’t look for an engine under this F-150′s hood … the means of propulsion has been put out to the wheels, with PML Flightlink’s HI-PA Drive electric wheel motors (clad in shiny green metallic paint) nestled behind each of the conventional rims. This is four wheel drive (4WD) in its purest sense: four wheels, four permanent magnet brushless motors.

The 4WD PML Flightlink F-150 has a range of approximately 100 miles. A 40 kilowatt hour Lithium ion battery, weighing roughly 1000 pounds, is slung between the frame rails. While typical charge time is six-to-eight hours with the 110-volt charger, a fast three-phase charge can be completed in under an hour.
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The Ford F-150 pickup truck has been an unparalleled sales success throughout the era of cheap gasoline. There are millions upon millions of F-150s on American roads. But with the days of cheap gas and chart-topping full-size pickup truck sales past us, we are left with a big question.

F-150 gas mileage figures have languished for decades. As a consequence, countless companies and individuals are burdened with trucks that have become too expensive to operate. As this cloud has settled upon the country, owners have been asking, “is there an honest-to-goodness way to dramatically increase the gas mileage of the F-150s that are prowling our streets?”

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