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Ford recalls 50,000 hybrid and EV wall-charging cords
A few months after Ford announced that it's ending production on all cars but the Mustang, it's got other bitter news for owners of some of its older hybrids and EVs -- but don't worry, it's not for any of the vehicles themselves. The automaker is recalling approximately 50,000 120-volt charge cords that were bundled with its 2012-15 Ford Focus Electric, 2013-15 Ford Fusion Energi and 2013-15 Ford C-MAX Energi autos.
Autonomous Ubers return to California with humans in control
Uber's run-in with the California DMV has apparently been smoothed over for now. Although the ride-hailing giant has since shipped its real-world autonomous vehicle testing out of the state, several of the offending vehicles are once again street legal in California -- provided Uber keeps the self-driving systems turned off and a human driver behind the wheel.
Ford underscores its love of electric cars, spends $135 million to make them happen
Ford really, really wants you to know that it's big on electric cars. Really. To that end, it's putting $135 million where its mouth is as part of the design and production for the electrified vehicles rolling out to dealer lots this year, such as the Focus Electric. A new research building in Dearborn is also being renamed as the Advanced Electrification Center to emphasize the uniform dedication to EVs and hybrids among the 1,000 researchers that call the Center their home away from home. We already know that the company plans to triple its manufacturing capacity to make 100,000 of the cars a year by 2013, but many of the supporting aspects are getting their own lift, Ford adds: it's hiring more engineers and doubling its battery testing capacity. The checklist of improvements you'll find after the break reflects some braggadocio on Ford's part, especially while it tries to stretch its jobs claims, but it's good news all the same. If the expansion keeps the likes of GM and Tesla on their toes, drivers hopefully win as a whole.
Ford wants you to meet its touchy, feely interior quality robot, RUTH 2.0
That's RUTH. In the end, she really amounts to a big robot arm with six joints, but Ford clearly has a soft spot for the faceless employee. First utilized in Europe, the Robotized Unit for Tactility and Haptics is currently at work helping to tweak the interiors of the company's 2013 Fusions, turning data collected from customers across the world into the hard to define concept of "quality," touching the trim, pushing buttons and turning knobs in the interior of the vehicle, in order to help provide what Ford says is, "the same type of quality they might feel if they were to buy a high-end luxury car." The version of the arm dubbed Ruth 2.0 is currently being used by Ford alone in North America, and the company has extended her quality checking to include seat comfort in the vehicles. Check out a video of the long arm of the car company after the break.
CES 2012: Automotive roundup
It's always a nice break from ultrabooks, smartphones and massive OLED TVs to catch a glimpse of the new auto tech that will be rolling out in the months to come. This year's focus at CES was infotainment and software add-ons for a handful of manufacturers and models. Sure, the plug-in Fusion was a highlight, but for the most part, the emphasis on on-board screens and content delivery while you're blazin' down Route 66. Read on for some highlights from the week that was.
Ford unveils Fusion Energi plug-in hybrid, alongside gas and regular hybrid variants
It might not be a full EV like last year's Focus Electric, but that doesn't mean you should count the 2013 Fusion out. All-new and packed to the gills with gadgetry like lane departure warning and adaptive cruise control, it's notable for being offered in gasoline, hybrid and plug-in hybrid variants. Efficiency for the mid-sized sedan ranges from 26MPG city and 37MPG highway in the gasoline burner all the way to 47MPG city and 44MPG highway for the lithium-ion toting hybrids. And for the Fusion Energi plug-in, it'll rock an estimated 100MPGe -- 7MPGe better than the Volt and 13MPGe better than the Prius plug-in, despite being larger than either. It'll also roam electrically for 20 miles before firing up its engine, and like the Prius equivalent it'll accelerate all the way up to 62MPH on battery power alone. On the infotainment side you're looking at the latest, more-simple version of MyFord Touch, naturally paired with SYNC. And just like the Focus Electric or C-MAX Energi, charging, heating and cooling can all be controlled remotely with MyFord Mobile. No word on price, but Ford says it'll show up in stateside showrooms, later this year. As for curious Europeans in the crowd, Ford says much of the design carries over to next year's Mondeo. We'll get our drive-on hands-on shortly, but PR and a gallery await after the break.
Ford SYNC AppLink gets rolling in ten new models, still just three apps deep
Back when we gave Ford's SYNC AppLink a test drive in that little green Fiesta, we got word that the Mustang was next in line to receive the service. Well, earlier this year, the auto outfit Linked-up the Mustang and now it's rolling out the application for 10 new 2012 models, including the F-150, Fusion (Hybrid and otherwise), Super Duty, and Expedition. It also says it's got a slew of developers lining up to bring hands-free control of their apps to AppLink. For now, though, no matter which SYNC-enabled beast you boast, or which OS you're rocking (BlackBerry OS, iOS, or Android), you'll be riding dirty with just two linked apps at most. Full PR after the break.
