All Star Family Ford

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

How the "Internet of Things" Will Affect Your Ford | All Star Family Ford

Transportation has changed just a wee bit since the 18^th century and its horse-and-buggy days, and we don’t just mean horsepower versus horsepower. Think about the experience then versus now. Wind-in-the-hair driving dynamics are about all the decades still have in common. Technology then was advanced, but technology now is almost sci-fi by comparison.

One of the most interesting has to do with communications through our vehicles. Now, you might expect this new wave of innovative technology to have some kind of computer-geeky name, but it’s actually the strangely entertaining and layman-understandable phrase “Internet of Things.” Those in the know call it IoT. Simply put, it’s communication between objects, thanks to an interconnected network, sensors, and the like. It’s smart technology to the max, and we already see it in ways such as talking to our kitchen appliances from outside the home.

On the automotive side, Ford and Intel are teaming up to explore new opportunities for the connected car, hoping to offer the ability to remotely peer into your car using a smartphone as well as facial recognition software that could identify the owner of the vehicle and automatically adjust features based on that person’s individual preferences, in addition to offering more privacy controls.

The collaborative project is called Mobile Interior Imaging (Project Mobii), and could create a more personalized and seamless interaction between you and your vehicle. Fun fact: Mobii research has included input from anthropologists.

As you know, Ford already utilizes exterior cameras on vehicles for driver-assist features, including Lane Departure Warning. Mobii will look into how to use cameras inside the vehicle. This could mean calendar, music and contacts specific to the person ID’d in the facial recognition software. If it doesn’t recognize the person? The vehicle owner gets a photo via smartphone and can then enable or disable features as needed. And imagine gesture recognition software, too, where your natural gestures could open the sunroof or turn up the A/C.

Connecting with the future is within arm’s length, and if Ford has its way, the future really will be just one “come here” gesture away from reality.

Source: http://social.ford.com/our-articles/cuvs/c-max/how-the-internet-of-things-will-affect-your-ford/

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Does this Bag Make Me Look Green? | All Star Family Ford

Reusable shopping bags are becoming fashionably hip instead of a burden. Bright colors, funky designs and interesting materials are all the rage. So, when we decided to, well, bag one of our own, we went witty, fun and conversational with the bags. We say witty, thanks to the sayings such as, “Does this bag make me look green?” We say conversational in that the fabric is the same material–Repreve^®–used to upholster the Ford Fusion Hybrid seats. And we say fun, because your environmental statement isn’t just green–it’s blue too, as in Blue Oval!^TM

In case you weren’t aware, in some locations–such as 90 cities and counties in California–there’s a ban on plastic bags, leaving residents to either pay for paper bags or bring their own bags when they go grocery shopping.

But here’s great news: Ford handed out the bags in grocery store parking lots and popular farmer’s markets alongside the Fusion Hybrid. This is not the first time we have gone quirky and interesting with materials, nor is it a new trend for Ford; the automaker has been exploring this for years. For example, the 2014 Ford F-150 debuted with various sustainable materials, such as rice hulls to reinforce the plastic (that’s a by-product of rice grain) in the electrical harness. Recycled cotton can be found as carpet insulation and sound absorption material. Soybeans? You’re sitting on them: they have been used for seat cushions and seat backs. Soda and water bottles, recycled tires and blue jeans are also creative recycled content. And right now, Ford is collaborating with Heinz–of ketchup fame–to look into the idea of tomato fiber to develop a more sustainable bioplastic material for vehicles, like those used for storage bins.

By the way, the use of EcoLon™ material, which is a nylon resin made from 100 percent recycled carpet has saved more than 4.1 million pounds of carpet from landfills. That’s equal to a reduction of more than 430,000 gallons of oil consumed. Ford believes strongly in “reduce, reuse and recycle.”

This philosophy is also maintained in abundance at the Ford Dearborn Truck Plant, which in 2014 marked 10 years of sustainable manufacturing. The plant builds the F-150, and has set a Guinness World Record for world’s largest living roof; at 10.4 acres, it has a unique ecosystem, removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and reduces energy use. Meanwhile, the plant itself uses natural light and ventilation, and as much recycling of packaging is done as possible to reduce waste.

Precisely why Ford is a global green brand. You could say it has “bagging” rights!

Source: http://social.ford.com/our-articles/cars/fusion/does-this-bag-make-me-look-green/

Wednesday, April 30, 2014

2014 Ford Fiesta Earns Multiple Awards at Texas Auto Writers Association Rally with EcoBoost Engines

It’s no doubt; here at All Star Family Ford in Amarillo, TX we love the 2014 Ford Fiesta. Sure, trucks are our big movers and that’s what we sell mostly, but we can really get behind the idea of a super efficient subcompact with great styling and all of Ford’s innovative features. That’s why we’re excited to announce that the Fiesta has earned multiple honors at this year’s Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) Rally! This 49 car event is a chance for auto journalists to judge all sorts of new cars and was held at the Texas Motor Speedway.

First, the 2014 Ford Fiesta SE equipped with the 1.0-Liter EcoBoost engine has been awarded the Sub-Compact Car of Texas title. This small but powerful three-cylinder manages to put out over 120 hp and runs so smooth you wouldn’t even think it was anything but a four cylinder. With an EPA estimated 32/45 mpg it is one of the most efficient gasoline engines on the market. It is for the excellent engineering and refinement that TAWA also named the 1.0L EcoBoost as the Best New Feature.

The 2014 Ford Fiesta ST, a sporty hot hatch that is quickly earning a name as one of the most fun-to-drive cars on the market, also earned some recognition at the TAWA event. Equipped with the surprisingly powerful 1.6-Liter EcoBoost, the Fiesta ST boasts 197 hp and 202 lb-ft of torque. For such a small vehicle these are some serious numbers and make for a great driving machine as they are matched to an excellent chassis and superb suspension tuning. More than 50 Texas auto writers at the event named the ST as the Best Value product at the rally. The Fiesta ST also earned the title of Performance Compact Car of Texas.

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Ford F-150 King Ranch celebrates 'history and authenticity' for 2015 [w/video]

Autoblog Ford by Jeremy Korzeniewski

What's life like on an authentic Texas ranch? We honestly have no idea, having never lived on such a ranch, but we imagine it requires lots of hard work, grit and determination to keep all 825,000 acres - that's larger than the state of Rhode Island - of the King Ranch in Texas under control. Indeed, a total of 350 vehicles, all of which come from Ford, we're told, are currently in use by the ranch. No wonder, then, that the collaboration between Ford and King Ranch has lasted for 15 successful years.

For 2015, in celebration of that 15th anniversary, Ford is debuting three new King Ranch models today at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. The most significant is the 2015 F-150 King Ranch, which, naturally, will add unique interior and exterior bits and pieces to the new aluminum-intensive F-Series pickup. Color choices will consist of Caribou, Bronze Fire, Guard and Ruby Red Metallic Clearcoat, with a range of two-tones to go along with a monochromatic scheme in Caribou. Inside, a bespoke King Ranch interior will be swathed in Premium Mesa Brown leather.

Joining the F-150 King Ranch on dealership floors later this year will be 2015 King Ranch editions of the Super Duty pickup and Expedition fullsize SUV, all of which will offer similar levels of content. Scroll down for more details and two videos from Ford, and be sure to check out the high-res image gallery above, which was shot by the official State Photographer of Texas, Wyman Meinzer.

Continue reading Ford F-150 King Ranch celebrates 'history and authenticity' for 2015 [w/video]

Ford F-150 King Ranch celebrates 'history and authenticity' for 2015 [w/video]originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 04 Mar 2014 19:00:00 EST.

Friday, March 7, 2014

Ford unveils all-new 2016 F-650 and F-750 at NTEA

By Chris BruceRSS feed

Posted Mar 4th 2014 5:40PM

Medium-duty work trucks might not be the most exciting vehicles, but they perform necessary jobs everyday. Ford is in the process of a complete refresh of its entire commercial vehicle lineup over the next 18 months, and it is debuting the all-new versions of its F-650 and F-750 trucks at the NTEA Work Truck Show in Indianapolis, IN.

"The all-new F-650/F-750 allow us to leverage our strengths and sales leadership in Classes 1 to 5 to create a better F-650/F-750 that's designed, engineered and built by Ford in the USA," said Ford spokesperson Mike Levine to Autoblog via email.

Huge amounts of torque is vital for trucks like these, and both models are offered with some of Fords biggest engines. Buyers can opt for either the 6.7-liter Power Stroke V8 diesel with TorqShift 6-speed automatic with available power takeoff or a gasoline-fueled 6.8-liter V10 with a 6-speed automatic. The V10 can also be ordered from the factory to be fueled by compressed natural gas or liquid propane gas.

The exterior gets a complete redesign with a look more reminiscent of Ford's current truck offerings. The front end features a new, mesh grille , more angular fenders and aerodynamic headlights. The revised interior gets a 110-volt outlet and multifunction steering wheel, plus tech options like Ford Sync and Crew Chief fleet management system.

Of course, these trucks have been made to work, not to look good. Ford collaborated with body makers to create a chassis that needed little or no modification to make customizing easier for work bodies like tow trucks or dump trucks. Production of the F-650 and F-750 will begin in Avon Lake, OH, in the spring of 2015 as 2016-model-year vehicles.

Monday, December 2, 2013

New Ford Edge Concept Shows off Remote Automatic Parking

by Ford in the News on November 20, 2013

A concept vehicle that previews the next-generation Ford Edge made its debut recently at the Los Angeles Auto Show. The sleek and athletic crossover also previewed two new technologies for the company.
The first is an enhancement to the active park-assist feature found on Blue Oval products like the current Ford Edge, designed to make things even easier for owners. That’s because the new system not only offers fully autonomous parking capabilities, it can also “un-park” the vehicle, and do so before the driver even gets behind the wheel. As a result, owners who find themselves in a tight (parking) spot don’t have to struggle to get into the vehicle; they can just wait for the Ford Edge Concept to pull out of the space by itself.
Also being shown on the Ford Edge concept is adaptive steering, which takes the company’s electric power-assisted steering system to the next level with dramatically easier low-speed steering and improved feel at all speeds. But those two technologies are just the tip of the ol’ iceberg for Ford.
“The rate of change in vehicle technology right now is unprecedented,” noted Raj Nair, Ford group vice president of global product development. “Our engineers around the world are advancing the systems that will ultimately help make drivers smarter, safer and more efficient. From advanced engine systems to collision avoidance and automated driving systems, Ford will continue to lead in delivering the technologies consumers want and need.”
Further, if the new Ford Edge Concept is any indication, those technologies will be wrapped in striking designs created with significant attention to detail.
“The original Ford Edge offered customers in North America a fresh, compelling choice for an accommodating, efficient and safe medium utility vehicle,” said Joe Hinrichs, executive vice president and president of The Americas, Ford Motor Company. “The next-generation Edge—previewed in the Ford Edge Concept—will build on these cornerstones to create a global vehicle with technology to make life easier, and design and craftsmanship to appeal to customers around the globe.”
Source: https://media.ford.com/content/fordmedia/fna/us/en/news/2013/11/20/with-self-parking-technology-and-obstacle-avoidance-capability–.html
Written by Charles Krome.
Photo courtesy of Ford Motor Co.

More from Ford in the News

Tagged as: Ford Edge Concept, Los Angeles Auto Show, Remote Automatic Parking

2014 Ford F-150 Expands Capability with Compressed Natural Gas

by FORD IN THE NEWS on NOVEMBER 21, 2013

Even though the 2014 Ford F-150 is the best-selling vehicle in America, Blue Oval engineers remain committed to offering truck buyers more benefits on a regular basis. The latest example comes to market from the Show-me State, which has now begun building 2014 Ford F-150 models that are capable of running on compressed natural gas or liquefied petroleum gas. It’s another first for Ford, which is now the only manufacturer with an available gaseous-fuel prep package for its half-ton pickups.

The system is a $315 option on the 2014 Ford F-150 with its 3.7-liter V-6 engine, with upfitting from a Ford Qualified Vehicle Modifier, running approximately $6,000 to $9,000. But that price of admission delivers a range of up to 750 miles, the ability to run on an affordable and clean-burning fuel, and in a growing number of states, access to a range of tax incentives and rebates. At the same time, Ford is providing a growing number of CNG-capable vehicles.

By the end of next summer, customers will be able to choose a CNG package for:

Transit Connect (van and wagon)
Transit (van, wagon, cutaway and chassis cab)
E-Series (van, wagon, cutaway and stripped chassis)
F-series Super Duty (F-350 pickup and chassis cab, F-450 chassis cab and F-550 chassis cab)
F-650 medium-duty truck
F53 and F59 stripped chassis
F-150 light-duty pickup

This is good news for folks like Jerome Webber, vice president of global fleet operations for AT&T. According to Webber: “We’re almost halfway to our company-wide goal of deploying 15,000 alternative-fuel vehicles by the end of 2018. Vehicles such as CNG F-350s from Ford have helped us avoid purchasing 7.7 million gallons of gasoline over the past five years while reducing our fleet’s emissions.”

Source:https://media.ford.com/content/fordmedia/fna/us/en/news/2013/11/21/first-cng-capable-2014-ford-f-150-rolls-off-the-line-in-kansas-c.html

Written by Charles Krome.

Photo courtesy of Ford Motor Co.

More from Ford in the News

Tagged as: 2014 Ford F-150, cng, Compressed Natural Gas, Ford Qualified Vehicle Modifier