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Focus Electric and C-MAX Energi Make KBB.com’s “10 Best Green Cars of 2013”

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Kelley Blue BookFord Focus Electric and the C-MAX Energi were named to the KBB.com list of “10 Best Green Cars of 2013.”

Kelley Blue Book editors chose the vehicles for being environmentally friendly and for providing commentary and mileage information.

Focus Electric and C-MAX Energi both feature SmartGauge® with EcoGuide to give owners a more connected, fuel-efficient driving experience by coaching them on how to optimize hybrid performance.

KBB.com also noted that Focus Electric and C-MAX Energi are fun-to-drive vehicles.

Click here to read the full article and for more information on the awards from KBB.com.

Source: Ford

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Ford’s MyFord Mobile App Helps Customers Find More than 9,400 U.S. Charging Stations

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Ford is making sure its customers can take advantage of the rapidly growing electric vehicle infrastructure in the U.S. – now with more than 9,400 public charging stations – by equipping cars like C-MAX Energi with batteries that can charge in as little as 2.5 hours and offering an app that is updated daily and helps find nearby charging stations.

MyFord® Mobile is an app developed by Ford engineers that can only be used with Ford Focus Electric and the soon-to-be-available C-MAX Energi and Fusion Energi plug-in hybrids. In addition to locating charging stations, the app allows customers to manage remote charging, view current battery status and plan trips.

The charging station locator is powered by MapQuest® and provides important details about charging stations in close proximity to the owner’s vehicle, such as street address and hours of operation. Stations are popping up all over, too – from local grocery stores in Pittsburgh, churches in Austin, Texas, and hospitals in Portland to places like McDonald’s, Starbucks, Whole Foods, Walgreens, Target, Cracker Barrel and Walmart.

“As more stations join the grid, MyFord Mobile users will be among the first to know because information about charger locations is constantly being culled from various sources to provide the most up-to-date data,” said Mike Tinskey, Ford’s manager of Vehicle Electrification and Infrastructure.

Up-to-date information is important because there are now 9,445 public stations in the U.S., according to current U.S. Department of Energy numbers. By comparison, there were about 2,500 public charging stations in the U.S. at the end of 2009.

“In addition to having innovative features that allow customers to minimize their transportation costs and maximize their EV driving range, MyFord Mobile also is the only mobile app that integrates up-to-date charge station locations real-time within the application,” said Tinskey.

Ford is tripling its electrified vehicle production capacity by 2013 with cars equipped with batteries that allow for quick charging at public charging stations.

Focus Electric – America’s most fuel-efficient compact that offers the equivalent of up to 110 miles per gallon (MPGe) city – is equipped with an advanced lithium-ion battery pack that can be fully charged in four hours, or about half the time of the Nissan Leaf.

C-MAX Energi plug-in hybrid will be able to recharge fully in two-and-a-half hours. C-MAX Energi is Ford’s first production plug-in hybrid, part of the company’s first hybrid-only dedicated line of vehicles, and now it is America’s most affordable plug-in hybrid. The vehicle is expected to deliver 95 MPGe, along with 550 miles of total range; its electric-only range is more than three times that of Toyota Prius plug-in hybrid per EPA testing methods.

Public charging stations aren’t the only way electric and plug-in hybrids are charged.
J.R. DeShazo, director of UCLA’s Luskin Center for Innovation, says research shows charging a vehicle at home remains the most common method for charging. The center researches and reports on environmental and sustainability issues.

Ford has ensured customers who prefer to charge at home are able to do so by making available a 240-volt charger designed specifically for Ford vehicles and for use in a residential setting. More information about the residential charger available at Best Buy can be found here.

Power of choice
Charging station installers have installed stations because they see electric vehicle adoption as a foregone conclusion with the only remaining question pertaining to how quickly adoption takes place, says DeShazo.

“As automakers like Ford meet drivers’ needs, excite drivers – and at the same time provide them with vehicles that lower refueling costs and provide greater environmental and social benefits – the quicker we’re going to see these important technologies and important vehicles adopted,” said DeShazo.

The five electrified vehicles Ford is launching this fall are in line with the company’s goal of providing customers with power of choice when it comes to fuel-efficient vehicles. The electrified vehicles are:

• Focus Electric: Production began late 2011; America’s most fuel-efficient compact with 110 MPGe city; charge time of four hours with the available 240-volt charging station, which is nearly half the time as Nissan Leaf
• C-MAX Hybrid: Projected to achieve 47 mpg city, at least 3 mpg better than Toyota Prius v with more performance and technology – all at a $1,300-lower base price
• C-MAX Energi plug-in hybrid: Coming this fall; electric-mode MPGe that is more than three times that of Toyota Prius plug-in hybrid per EPA testing methods; 95 MPGe; total range of 550 miles
• All-new Fusion Hybrid: Coming this fall; 47 mpg expected to beat Toyota Camry Hybrid by 5 mpg highway
• Fusion Energi plug-in hybrid: Will begin production by the end of 2012; aiming to be the most fuel-efficient midsize car in the world

Source: Ford

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Ford Focus Electric Expected to Deliver 100 MPGe

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The all-new, gasoline-free Ford Focus Electric is Ford’s first-ever all-electric passenger car – a zero-CO2-emissions version of Ford’s popular small car expected to be the first of its kind to achieve the equivalent of a 100 miles per gallon fuel efficiency rating with seating for five.

Focus Electric is the first all-electric vehicle to feature faster charging technology, allowing it to fully recharge in three to four hours – half the time of Nissan Leaf. This technology can help double the car’s range during a busy day of driving and recharging multiple times.

“Focus Electric’s innovative faster charging technology can help customers save money and get much more out of the car in a busy day of running around town and recharging between stops,” said Sherif Marakby, director of Ford’s Electrification Programs and Engineering. “We also are pleased the Focus Electric will break the 100 MPGe mark – a great symbol of how Ford has transformed its fleet with many vehicles delivering leading fuel economy and efficiency.”

With 20 years of Ford research and innovation behind electrified vehicle software and hardware technology, the company offers proven engineering and design with Focus Electric. Ford holds approximately 500 patents, with several hundred patent-pending applications on technologies used in the new Focus Electric and its other electrified vehicles.

Focus Electric reflects Ford’s commitment to deliver fuel-efficient vehicles without sacrificing performance, capability or driving fun. Though range and miles per gallon equivalent figures are yet to be finalized, Focus Electric is expected to be competitive with other comparable all-electric vehicles.

“Focus Electric was designed to deliver the same dynamics and quality of a conventional Ford Focus,” said Eric Kuehn, Focus Electric chief nameplate engineer. “It shares many of the same premium components and features as its gasoline-powered counterpart while delivering distinct efficiencies and a uniquely exciting driving experience.”

Source: Ford

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Seat Fabric in All-New Ford Focus Electric Made of Plastic Bottles

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The all-new Ford Focus Electric features seat fabric made of recycled material that includes the equivalent of more than 20 plastic bottles per car.

The fiber – called REPREVE® – is made from a hybrid blend of recycled materials and manufactured by Unifi, Inc. (NYSE: UFI), a global leader in sustainable textile solutions.

Unifi officials say 22 plastic, 16-ounce water bottles are used in the seat fabric of a single Focus Electric. The figure is based on the amount of REPREVE branded fiber used in the production of fabric in each vehicle.

Ford is the first automaker to use REPREVE branded fiber in its seat fabric.

“What better vehicle than the Focus Electric to put seat fabric made of recycled materials?” said Carol Kordich, lead designer of Sustainable Materials for Ford. “Not only does the use of this fabric in Focus Electric help reduce waste, it also helps to offset the need to produce new raw material from crude oil – a process that consumes precious energy and natural resources.”

The 2012 Ford Focus Electric is green in other ways, too. Focus Electric runs on battery power alone, requiring no gasoline and producing zero carbon dioxide emissions.

“We are excited to work with Ford for the introduction of REPREVE into the automotive industry,” said Roger Berrier, president and COO of the Greensboro, N.C.-based Unifi. “As REPREVE continues to expand into new applications and markets, consumers are becoming more aware of companies like Ford and Unifi working together to make a positive impact on the environment.”

In 2009 Ford mandated that fabric suppliers use a minimum of 25 percent recycled content for all 2009 and beyond model year vehicles. Since then, 37 different fabrics meeting the requirements have been developed and incorporated into Ford vehicles.

Stop by Beach Ford in Virginia Beach or Suffolk to try out these recycled fabrics for yourself. Oh yeah…and test drive a car while you’re at it!

Source: Ford

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MyFord Mobile App Honored with CES Best of Innovation Award

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The several industry-first features of the MyFord Mobile app make driving a Ford Focus Electric hassle-free. And now, the remote vehicle monitoring and management features of the MyFord Mobile App will be honored with the 2012 International CES Innovation Design and Engineering Award.

“MyFord Mobile is designed to help Focus Electric drivers maximize their gasoline-free driving in a worry-free, low-effort way,” said Bill Frykman, Product & Business Development, Ford Connected Services. “Drivers can take advantage of information stored off-board to automatically charge their cars at the lowest possible cost and reduce range anxiety with plug-to-plug route planning.”

The MyFord Mobile app harnesses the power of cloud computing through a unique partnership with Microsoft, to keep track of when local utilities switch to lower off-peak charging rates, helping to minimize the cost of ownership of the battery-powered Focus Electric.

Drivers just need to enable a single setting in the app and then plug in their cars without ever worrying about what time the rates change in their area. The network monitors utility rate schedules and automatically transmits a signal to the vehicle through embedded cellular connectivity to start charging at the lowest cost. “With its quick 3 to 4 hour charge time using a 240-volt home charging station installed by Best Buy, the Focus Electric will be ready to go when the owner heads out in the morning,” said Frykman.

The capabilities of the network also enable drivers to plan customized trips using navigation data from Mapquest. Drivers can use the app to find charging stations, estimate whether they can reach a station with the currently available charge, and create multi-stop, plug-to-plug journeys for their daily driving needs.

The vehicle connectivity module and app also provide the driver with alerts when charging is complete or if charging is interrupted due to being unplugged or a power outage. The vehicle interior can be preheated or cooled while still plugged in using power from the grid to maximize driving range.

“We want to give Focus Electric drivers the opportunity to maximize the EV ownership experience,” said Frykman. “We’re honored CES has recognized our efforts to use the latest connectivity and cloud technology to augment the capabilities of the car to promote greener driving.”

The MyFord Mobile app will be available for use on most major smartphone platforms including Android, BlackBerry and iPhone. The same capabilities can also be accessed through a mobile web app for other platforms and a secure Ford website from any Internet-connected computer.

Source: Ford