Autoblog

Ford cleans up at 2011 Edison Awards, Chevy Volt wins Gold [w/video]

Chris Shunk — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Technology, Ford, GM, Electric

Alan Mulally interview for Edison Awards - Click above to watch video after the jump

The annual Edison awards that celebrate innovation in goods and services have been handed out, and Ford and General Motors have taken no prisoners with regards to all things automotive. Ford was the big winner, with three gold metals and one silver. Further, CEO Alan Mulally was named a 2011 Edison Achievement Award Winner.

Ford won the Applied Technology gold thanks to the inflatable seatbelts that were introduced on the 2011 Explorer. The Blue Oval took both gold and silver in the In-Car Driving Aids segment, with MyFord Touch and Sync finishing one and two, respectively. MyKey took the last gold for Ford under the Remote Driving Aids segment, besting GM's MyLink, which took silver.

GM's Chevrolet Volt won the top spot for the Personal Transportation category, beating The Copenhagen Wheel (silver) and the Nissan Leaf (bronze).

Hit the jump to watch a short interview with Alan Mulally, who discusses manufacturing and its impact on jobs and the economy.

[Source: Edison Awards]

Continue reading Ford cleans up at 2011 Edison Awards, Chevy Volt wins Gold [w/video]

Ford cleans up at 2011 Edison Awards, Chevy Volt wins Gold [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 07 Apr 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford MyKey now allows parents to block Howard Stern, Playboy Radio [w/video]

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 15:31:00 EST

Filed under: Safety, Technology, Ford

Ford's upgraded MyKey for 2011 - Click above for high-res image gallery

Modern technology means that parental controls are now spreading to cars as factory equipment, and the automaker leading the charge is Ford. Using the latest version of the company's MyKey system, parents can now block their children from listening to certain radio stations - say, for instance, Howard Stern or Playboy Radio on satellite. In fact, there are a dozen stations listed as explicit by Sirius, and all of them can be blocked using MyKey starting in 2011.

Also seeing an upgrade for 2011 is MyKey's speed-limiting technology. Previously, the top speed of a properly equipped Ford vehicle could be capped at 80 miles per hour (with chimes sounding at 45, 55 and 65). Now, users can preset a desired speed limit at any of four different settings - 65, 70, 75 or 80 mph. While an obvious safety feature, the technology can also dramatically improve fuel efficiency.

Already, Ford's MyKey allows parents to limit audio volume, encourage seatbelt usage by muting the radio until front occupants buckle up and provide earlier low-fuel warnings. All of these could be considered important safety features, considering that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that teens are more likely to speed (a contributing factor in 30 percent of fatal accidents) and are less likely to use their safety-belts.

Ford contracted the firm Penn, Schoen & Berland to conduct a survey regarding its new MyKey features, and the results aren't terribly surprising: 85 percent of parents believe the speed limiting controls are important and 60 percent say the same regarding the radio content controls. Even 45 percent of teen drivers themselves say they approve of the technology... just as long as it means they get extended driving privileges from their parents. Of course, said teens can also simply circumvent the MyKey safety leash by listening to CDs or their MP3 players, but we digress.

Check out a video and full press release after the break to learn more about how the system works.

Gallery: Ford's upgraded MyKey for 2011

[Source: Ford]

Continue reading Ford MyKey now allows parents to block Howard Stern, Playboy Radio [w/video]

Ford MyKey now allows parents to block Howard Stern, Playboy Radio [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 29 Dec 2010 15:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford Escape, Mercury Mariner gets more safety gear for 2010

Sam Abuelsamid — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 17:59:00 EST

Filed under: Safety, Technology, Crossover, Ford

Ford Escape - Click above for high-res gallery

Ford is continuing to leverage the development dollars it spends on new technology while also keeping products fresh by expanding new features to more vehicles. The latest example is the 2010 Escape and Mercury Mariner. After a body redesign in 2008 and new powertrains for '09, this year brings additional safety enhancements. Ford's compact CUVs now have integrated blind-spot mirrors and the MyKey system as standard equipment, with several other features optional. MyKey lets the owner program keys for things like stereo volume, speed limiting and warning beeps at certain speed thresholds, which ought to be very handy when turning over the car to a teenager.

New options for the Escape and Mariner include the Active Park Assist feature we saw demonstrated recently on the Lincoln MKS, a rear view camera with LCD display in the rear mirror and updated SYNC features.

Gallery: First Drive: 2009 Ford Escape

Continue reading Ford Escape, Mercury Mariner gets more safety gear for 2010

Ford Escape, Mercury Mariner gets more safety gear for 2010 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 06 Mar 2009 17:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Detroit 2009: Lincoln MKT debuts with a big, toothy smile

Chris Paukert — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 00:01:00 EST

Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Crossover, Lincoln

Click above for high-res image gallery of the 2010 Lincoln MKT

Ford has a major-league hit on its hands with the 2009 Flex crossover - with the media. Sadly, despite its varied and considerable charms, sales haven't met the Blue Oval's admittedly lofty expectations. Blame the recession, blame the marketing department, blame the Flex's divisive styling, blame what you will, but Dearborn is plainly going to have to find more volume for its D4 platform. Enter the 2010 Lincoln MKT.

It doesn't take more than a brief glance to realize that Ford's stylists have exacted much more than a quick nip/tuck on the rectilinear Flex en-route to minting this new Lincoln. But beyond the crossover's assertive looks, there is a host of new technology on offer inside and out that should help put the MKT on luxury crossover shopping lists. Follow the jump to learn more about the MKT and read Lincoln's official press release.

Gallery: 2010 Lincoln MKT

Continue reading Detroit 2009: Lincoln MKT debuts with a big, toothy smile

Detroit 2009: Lincoln MKT debuts with a big, toothy smile originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 12 Jan 2009 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford introduces car-limiting MyKey for worried parents

John Neff — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 10:30:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Coupe, Safety, Technology, Ford

Ford announced today a new technology called MyKey that will be standard on the 2010 Focus Coupe and quickly spread to the rest of the Blue Oval's lineup. MyKey can do three basic things: allow parents to limit a vehicle's top speed to 80 mph and/or the stereo's volume up to 44% of its max, and set a sustaining chime if the seatbelts aren't being used. Clearly targeted towards worry wart parents, the MyKey system is meant to keep teens safe despite their protestation that a system like this curtails their kiddy freedoms. Ford did some polling and found that 67% of teens didn't like the idea, though that number fell to 36% if the MyKey system led to parents letting the kids use the car more.

The MyKey system uses off-the-shelf technology from within Ford, particularly the SecuriLock passive anti-theft system, to identify which keys are in the ignition and therefore which driving mode to enable. It's certainly feels a lot like Big Brother, but we suppose parents have the right to play Big Bro' when the safety of their children is at stake.

Other things the MyKey system can do is permanently enable the traction control system and set chimes for when the car reaches 45, 55 or 65 mph. This technology will likely make the Ford Focus Coupe a popular choice for both parents and teens, the latter of which may be appeased by the SNYC system that's also available in these cars.

[Source: Ford]

Continue reading Ford introduces car-limiting MyKey for worried parents

Ford introduces car-limiting MyKey for worried parents originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 06 Oct 2008 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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