Connected World Selects 2013 Ford Fusion Energi as Connected Car of the Year
Written by Ford Motor Company
Thursday, 10 January 2013
LAS VEGAS, Jan. 8, 2013 --
All-new Ford Fusion Energi named Connected World Connected Car of the Year 2013; Fusion Energi features standard SYNC® with MyFord Touch® to help drivers stay connected while keeping eyes on the road and hands on the wheel
MyFord® Mobile smartphone app allows owners of
plug-in hybrid and battery electric vehicles – including Fusion Energi,
C-MAX Energi and Focus Electric – to keep track of battery charging,
find nearby charging stations and minimize charging costs
2013 Fusion Energi offers the most complete advanced driver assist technologies of any midsize car
In an announcement at the 2013 International CES, Connected World Magazine has awarded the all-new Ford Fusion Energi plug-in hybrid the midsize Connected World Connected Car of the Year 2013.
Staying connected
The all-new Fusion offers the most complete array of advanced
connectivity and driver assist features of any mainstream sedan. The
Fusion Energi plug-in hybrid includes standard SYNC® with MyFord Touch® and compatibility with the MyFord® Mobile smartphone app.
"SYNC has helped us evolve as an automaker, to think and act more
like a technology company, with a new level of openness and access that
has forever changed how we look at our business and respond to our
customers," said Paul Mascarenas, chief
technical officer and vice president, Ford Research and Innovation.
"Ultimately, SYNC embodies one of the many things Ford is all about:
going further to transform innovative ideas into products that are
affordable, attainable and valuable for millions of people."
The award-winning SYNC connectivity system, available on all Ford
Motor Company vehicles enables drivers to connect their phones, tablets
and digital media players via Bluetooth® or USB for
hands-free calling and media playback using simple voice commands. SYNC
with SYNC Services offers a range of services powered by the mobile data
connection drivers already have. These services include Traffic, Directions and Information, Vehicle Health Report, 911 Assist and more.
All Ford plug-in vehicles, including Fusion Energi, C-MAX Energi
and Focus Electric, feature the MyFord Mobile app that helps give owners
the ability to use any connected mobile phone with a data plan or
computer with Internet access when not operating a vehicle to:
Find current and projected state of charge information including
estimated range and the amount of charge time necessary for additional
travel distances
Program vehicle charging with utility input, allowing the car to
start charging immediately or when electricity prices are lowest with
the value charging feature, powered by Microsoft
Using features powered by MapQuest®:
Locate charging stations and get the destination sent to the vehicle
Know if the vehicle can reach a specific charge station from its current location with the current charge level
Create a journey with multiple stops, and determine the likelihood the car has adequate charge for the full journey
Find the car by creating a route from a mobile phone to the vehicle
Receive alerts if the vehicle isn't charging when it's scheduled
to, or if charging stops unexpectedly due to a power outage, plug
removal or other event
Receive alerts during recharge when the vehicle has reached a
particular preset charge level or has the ability to reach a particular
destination
Engage remote vehicle preconditioning, using grid power to heat or cool the battery and vehicle interior
Remotely lock/unlock doors
Use the built-in GPS system to locate the car
Download performance and system data
Earn various achievements for driving and ownership milestones that can then be posted to your Facebook or Twitter account
Fun ways of understanding your driver behavior, with ratings from "Zen" to "zippy"
Receive information personalized, depending on which key used
Keeping the driver aware Fusion Energi is available with a full suite of advanced driver
assistance technologies that help the driver be more aware of his or her
surroundings by providing alerts to potential hazards and active
assistance to help avoid accidents.
An array of radar, ultrasonic, optical and motion sensors around
the car keep the driver informed by looking into the spaces he or she
can't see.
"These new sensing technologies help extend the driver's own
senses, providing a level of assistance never before available to the
family sedan buyer," said John Jraiche,
Ford Fusion chief engineer. "The all-new Fusion makes these advanced
technologies more affordable and available than ever before."
"We see the driver as always being at the center of control of the
vehicle," added Mascarenas. "With improvements in sensing and control
technologies, we now provide unprecedented levels of assistance to our
Fusion customers."
While understanding it is critical drivers retain full control of
their vehicle at all times, Ford engineers recognize there will always
be situations where they can use some help, so they've developed these
driver assistance technologies to help mitigate the risks. Until now,
it's only been possible to get many of these features in luxury cars
costing $100,000 or more.
The story behind the new Fusion
For more on the new Ford Fusion, check out http://FordFusionStory.com,
a special mobile site featuring articles, videos and graphics that are
easily shareable directly from a smartphone, tablet or computer browser
to Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and blogs.
About Ford Motor Company Ford Motor Company(NYSE: F), a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich.,
manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With
about 172,000 employees and 65 plants worldwide, the company's
automotive brands include Ford and Lincoln.
The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit
Company. For more information regarding Ford and its products worldwide,
please visit http://corporate.ford.com.
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