Archive for November, 2008

18
Nov
08

Do you have Teen Drivers?

By Ron Olson Leave a Comment
Categories: Future Vehicles, Public Affairs, Quality, fuel efficiency, safety and technology
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

 Ford’s new MyKey System Helps Teens Drive Safer, Conserve Fuel; Gives Parents Peace of Mind

o    MyKeyTM, another innovation from the company that introduced SYNC®, allows parents to limit speed and audio volume to encourage teens to drive safer and improve fuel efficiency.

o    Harris Interactive Survey shows that many parents would allow teens to drive more often if their vehicle was equipped with MyKey – helping young drivers build road safety experience.

o    MyKey will debut as a standard feature next year on the 2010 Focus coupe and will quickly be offered on many other Ford, Lincoln and Mercury models.

Ford Motor Company is introducing an innovative new technology – called MyKey – designed to help parents encourage their teen-agers to drive safer and more fuel efficiently, and increase safety-belt usage.

Ford’s MyKey feature – which debuts next year as standard equipment on the 2010 Focus coupe and will quickly become standard on many other Ford, Lincoln and Mercury models – allows owners to program a key that can limit the vehicle’s top speed and audio volume. MyKey also encourages safety-belt usage, provides earlier low-fuel warnings and can be programmed to sound chimes at 45, 55 and 65 miles per hour.

“Ford not only offers industry-leading crash protection and crash avoidance systems, we also are committed to developing new technologies such as MyKey that encourage safer driving behavior,” said Susan Cischke, Ford group vice president of Sustainability, Environment and Safety Engineering. “MyKey can help promote safer driving, particularly among teens, by encouraging seat belt use, limiting speed and reducing distractions.”

MyKey is appealing to parents of teen drivers, including 75 percent who like the speed-limiting feature, 72 percent who like the more insistent safety-belt reminder, and 63 percent who like the audio limit feature, according to a recent Harris Interactive Survey conducted for Ford.

Continue reading ‘Do you have Teen Drivers?’

04
Nov
08

Ford sticks with small-car plans

By Ron Olson Leave a Comment
Categories: Future Vehicles
Tags: , , ,

DETROIT — A funny thing happened on the way to the Ford F-150 pickup launch.

Last summer, Ford Motor Co. delayed the debut of the re-engineered ’09 model after gasoline topped $4 a gallon. Next, Ford gave up on National Football League ads. Then gasoline prices dropped, and the sell-down of 2008 models went better than Ford expected.

f150Industry sales of full-sized pickups were down a whopping 26.7 percent in September. But this past weekend, football watchers saw the first salvo of a barrage of commercials for the 2009 F-150.

Lower gasoline prices may create a better launch environment for the F-150, but they present a problem for Ford, too. Ford is betting that a wave of European-designed small cars will lead its turnaround.

So will the drop in gasoline prices cause Ford to rethink its small-car onslaught? Not at all, says CEO Alan Mulally.

Fuel “prices are going to stay relatively higher, even though they’re down right now,” Mulally told Automotive News last week.

“The most important thing we can do is have a full complement of small and medium-sized cars and utilities that complement our larger vehicles.”

Five questions with
Ford CEO Alan Mulally
mullaly

Ford’s CEO tells Automotive News Editor David Sedgwick that the automaker will likely apply for a government loan this year, the European Ka might be available in the United States, and bankruptcy is not an option.

Think small

His priority now is to launch the subcompact Ford Fiesta in North America in 2010, Mulally said. An array of subcompact, or B-segment, and Focus-sized compact cars will follow.

Mulally said he even might bring the Ford Ka microcar to the United States. A redesigned Ka, which is ka-new1smaller than the Fiesta, goes on sale in Europe early next year. Mulally said he hasn’t set a deadline for his decision on a U.S. Ka.

Ford is even more committed to its small-car strategy than when it adjusted production in July, Mulally said. Company leaders think customers will demand fuel efficiency in their vehicles.

“It will be really interesting to see how far down we go in size,” Mulally said.

But the Ford CEO must find a way to achieve a decent profit margin on small cars. It will be tough to replace the $8,000 to $10,000-plus profit margins on big pickups and SUVs.

“It takes a while to fill in that loss of revenue on the larger vehicles with the full portfolio of cars,” Mulally said. “But over time, our plan is to make money on them and make a reasonable return.”

Lean times

That’s critical. Through September, Ford’s U.S. light-vehicle sales were down 18.4 percent. Through June 30, the automaker lost $8.6 billion. Ford will announce third-quarter results Friday; more losses are expected.

While generally viewed to be in better shape than General Motors or Chrysler LLC, Ford is burning cash. It had $26.6 billion in cash at the end of June, down $8 billion during the first six months of 2008. Ford can tap an additional $11.6 billion in credit lines.

Mulally doesn’t foresee industry sales rebounding in 2009, and he won’t say when Ford will return to profitability.

But with his cash cushion, Mulally is betting Ford can make it through the downturn as an independent company. This year, Ford rejected merger overtures from GM and Chrysler. Mulally said he remains focused on integrating Ford’s global operations.

He explained: The “most important merger that we (can) do is inside Ford.”

04
Nov
08

Ford FUEL ECONOMY LEADERSHIP

By Ron Olson Leave a Comment
Categories: Future Vehicles, Quality and fuel efficiency
Tags: , , , , , ,

  • With every new Ford vehicle, we commit to be the best or among the best for fuel economy. By the end of 2010, nearly all of our North American engines will be upgraded or replaced. Within two years, nearly all of our North American lineup will offer fuel-saving six-speed automatic transmissions.
  • Innovative technologies and clever engineering solutions already are putting Ford at the head of the pack for fuel economy in vehicles including the 2009 Ford Focus, Escape and Escape Hybrid, Flex and F-150.
  • The 2010 Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan will be the next products to offer customers a more fuel-efficient powertrain lineup. The all-new Duratec 2.5-liter four cylinder engine is expected to deliver fuel economy that’s at least 3 mpg (hwy) better than Honda Accord and 2 mpg better than Toyota Camry.
  • The all-new Fusion and Milan Hybrids are expected to achieve class-leading fuel economy, beating Toyota Camry Hybrid by at least 5 mpg (city). With these new hybrids, Ford will double the size and volume of its hybrid lineup and will be the largest domestic producer of full-hybrid vehicles in North America. Ford also will have the most fuel efficient SUV and mid-size sedan on the road.
  • Our EcoBoost technology is slated for a wide range of global vehicles and will benefit millions of customers. It uses gas turbocharged direct-engine technology to deliver up to 20 percent better fuel economy, up to 15 percent fewer CO2 emissions and superior driving performance versus larger-displacement engines.
  • The first applications of EcoBoost V-6 engines come next year in the Ford Flex and Lincoln MKS. Four-cylinder EcoBoost engines will debut in 2010 in North America and Europe. We’ll offer EcoBoost on more than 80 percent of our North American lineup by the end of 2012.
  • Our sustainability strategy also includes mid- and long-term technologies that will benefit millions of customers without compromising their expectations for fuel economy, quality, safety and performance. For the mid term (2013-2020), we’ll achieve gains by fully implementing solutions and proven technologies that we’re evaluating for high-volume introduction – such as significant weight reductions, high-volume hybrids, plug-in hybrids and a broader application of EcoBoost. Beyond that, we’ll look at volume introductions of emerging alternative solutions such as hydrogen, full-battery electric vehicles and bio fuels.

2010 Ford Fusion Packs a Fuel-Efficient Punch with New Gas Engine, Six-Speed Transmission Lineup

A choice lineup of gas-powered engines will deliver even more horsepower and better fuel economy in the 2010 Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan mid-size sedans, which already stand out for their strong reliability and driving dynamics. For 2009, the 2010 model year Fusion and Milan will offer Ford’s all-new Duratec 2.5-liter    I-4, producing 175 horsepower; an enhanced 3.0-liter V-6 with 19 more horsepower than its predecessor; and a 3.5-liter V-6 that pumps out 263 horsepower on the Fusion Sport model.

Fusion models equipped with the 2.5-liter I-4 engine are expected  to deliver at least 3 mpg better on the highway than the Honda Accord and 2 mpg better than the Toyota Camry. All are paired  with six-speed transmissions for up to a 10 percent fuel economy improvement and a host of other industry-first technologies aimed  at improving performance while gaining fuel economy.

The 2010 Fusion and Milan are expected to deliver similar fuel economy achievements in the mid-size car segment, helping build upon a stellar quality reputation that includes Best Buy recommendations from several top consumer publications.

 New Ford Hybrid System Expected to Deliver Class-Leading Fuel Economy, Improved Drivability

Ford’s next-generation hybrid propulsion system builds upon the proven success of the Escape and Mariner Hybrids, delivering class-leading fuel economy for the all-new 2010 Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan Hybrids that debut later this year.

“Offering consumers more fuel-efficient vehicle choices, including improving and increasing our hybrid vehicle offerings, is part of Ford’s broad plan to deliver technology solutions for affordable fuel economy for millions,” said Derrick Kuzak, Ford’s group vice president for Global Product Development.

“With the new Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan hybrids, we are now able to offer even better range of travel on battery power at a greater speed, thanks to a more efficient, seamless transition between the battery-powered motor and gasoline-driven engine,” he said. “These new hybrids will exceed expectations on all fronts – fuel efficiency, comfort, convenience and overall drivability.” 

With the new arrivals, Ford will be the producer of the most fuel-efficient mid-size sedans and SUVs on the planet – and the Fusion Hybrid is expected to be at least 5 mpg better in the city than the Toyota Camry hybrid.

The Ford Hybrid team has developed a powertrain system that combines the best attributes of the gasoline engine and electric battery-driven motors to deliver the optimal experience for the customer in terms of driving performance and fuel economy. Additionally, the propulsion system for the Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan hybrids transitions between gas and electric power and back more efficiently and seamlessly.

The overall system upgrade allows the Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan hybrids to operate longer at higher speeds in electric mode. The hybrid vehicles can operate up to 47 mph in pure electric mode, about twice as fast as some competitors. Plus, the city driving range on a single tank of gas is expected to be more than 700 miles.

News and Events for the Ford, Lincoln, Mercury owner and enthusiast.





 

November 2008
M T W T F S S
« Oct   Dec »
 12
3456789
10111213141516
17181920212223
24252627282930

Categories