focus

The Ford Focus Electric will use the embedded AT&T wireless connection to send and receive data about the car, Ford announced today.

Through the new MyFord Mobile smartphone app, owners will be able to plan trips, monitor their vehicle's state of charge, locate charging stations, remotely lock/unlock doors, use a built-in GPS system to locate the car and receive alerts.

"With a wireless connection, we're putting battery charge and vehicle range information, along with an interactive, data-driven trip planning app, directly at the fingertips of our customers," said Ed Pleet, product and business … Read more

The Pomodoro technique is a time management methodology based on the idea that using a timer to break work down into 25-minute segments with breaks in between enhances alertness and focus. Focus Booster is a free tool for implementing the Pomodoro technique. (OK, we know you're wondering: "Pomodoro" is Italian for tomato, a legacy of the tomato-shaped kitchen timer the technique's creator used as a student.)

Focus Booster automatically installs Adobe AIR, which basically lets you run Web apps on your desktop without a browser. Focus Booster is a very simple tool, more like a widget … Read more

Ford today celebrated the opening of the most flexible plant the company operates. The Michigan Assembly Plant (MAP) has been designed to build gasoline-powered, battery electric, hybrid electric, and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles on the same line. The plant assembles the new Ford Focus, and will begin producing the Focus Electric later this year.

In December, the company announced an investment of $550 million to remodel the assembly plant.

According to a Ford statement, the Wayne, Mich., plant "features an environmentally friendly workplace with flexible manufacturing capability."

"MAP epitomizes the best of what Ford stands for--fuel efficiency, … Read more

Although spring is rapidly approaching, the engineers at Ford are keeping the needs of cold weather dwellers on the forefront. The U.S. automaker announced on Tuesday that the Ford Focus Electric's battery pack won't be slowed down in below-freezing temperatures thanks to an active liquid-heating system.

"Batteries are similar to people, as they both achieve maximum performance working under moderate, unchanged temperatures," said Sherif Marakby, Ford director of Electrification Programs and Engineering. "Using a liquid-heated battery system allows Ford to keep the Focus Electric's battery at a moderate temperature and improve performance whether … Read more

Toyota Entune takes on Sync, Android headrests, and streaming radio shows up everywhere.

Ford Focus EV unveiled

Toyota Entune

Android in a headrest

A ride in the GM EN-V

Speedos go 3D, video

CNET's LOL cars gallery!

Ford CEO Alan Mulally introduced the automaker's first-ever zero-emissions vehicle Friday in his keynote address at the 2011 CES convention in Las Vegas: The Focus Electric, a new version of the little sedan which Ford says offers better mileage than the Chevy Volt and charges twice as fast as the Nissan Leaf.

"This is our first ever gas-free, zero carbon dioxide emissions car," Mulally said. "(It's) a great step forward in electrification, and part of an even more comprehensive plan for bringing affordable fuel efficiency technology to millions of people around our world."

It … Read more

We've known for some time that Ford Motor Company has been developing a battery electric vehicle (BEV) variant of its Ford Focus. However, the mule previously showcased was based on the second-generation Focus chassis, which is now old-new following the unveiling of the third-generation Focus. Today, the automaker has released teaser photos of what appears to be a new Focus BEV concept and announced via its Ford Electric Vehicles Facebook fan page that it will have big news at the 2011 International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

A set of photos posted on the automaker's Facebook wall … Read more

Ford is about to start assembling gas-powered, electric, hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles in its remodeled Michigan assembly plant that now is the size of 22 football fields.

Ford recently invested $550 million to remodel the plant. Improvements include a three-wet-paint booth that utilizes 66 paint robots with seven axes of movement to precisely apply paint to the cars and 500 robots in the body shop, capable of 4,000 welds per vehicle. But it's not just robots assembling cars; the 1.2-million-square-foot plant has 3,200 employees.

"We've modernized just about every square foot of this … Read more

Ford's spin on "reduce, reuse, and recycle" includes your old blue jeans.

The auto maker today announced that the 2012 Focus, on sale early next year in North America and Europe, will use cotton from recycled clothing for carpet backing and sound-absorption materials inside the car. These materials will supposedly provide a much quieter cabin.

"Ford is continually looking for greener alternatives," said Carrie Majeske, product sustainability manager. "Recycled content is a way to divert waste from landfills and reduce the impact of mining virgin material."… Read more