Ford investing $29bn in electric and autonomous vehicles
Carmaker Ford has announced it’s allocating a combined $29 billion (£21.1 billion) to develop electric and autonomous vehicles, to mark its “leadership of the EV revolution and development of autonomous driving.” In its Quarter 4 2020 results, CEO Jim Farley said the company is working on “bringing customers high-volume, connected electric SUVs, commercial vans and […]
Ford top of autonomous patents
New research analysing patent applications from the motor industry shows Ford has submitted the most relating to autonomous vehicles over the last ten years, while Toyota is number one for applications overall. The study by Bristol Street Motors using Google Patents, found Ford has submitted a total of 14,354 applications over the last decade. However […]
Ford trialling accident prediction technology
A consortium led by Ford is developing a way of using connected vehicle and roadside sensor data to predict where road crashes may take place. The Data-Driven Road Safety Tool will analyse the information to suggest the likely locations and possible root causes of potential road safety hotspots. Researchers say the insights will enable cities […]
Ford and TomTom team up on next-gen connected vehicles
Satnav and location technology company TomTom, has been awarded a global multi-year deal to power Ford’s next-generation connected car solution SYNC® with its real-time traffic service. Ford says TomTom’s real-time traffic information will keep drivers informed and help them reduce their travel time. TomTom’s traffic service processes over 70 million driving hours every day. TomTom […]
Ford makes connected services standard in Europe
Ford has announced it’s making a range of connected vehicle services complimentary to European customers, enabling drivers to control and monitor key features in their cars from their smartphone. Drivers access connected vehicle features using the FordPass app which enables a variety of remote services, including checking on vehicle health, fuel level and oil levels, […]
Ford adds hands-free driving in North America
Carmaker Ford is launching a range of new technology features on its cars, including Active Drive Assist, which allows for hands-free driving on more than 100,000 miles of divided highways in all 50 states and Canada. It says Active Drive Assist on the Ford Co-Pilot360™ Technology is the “next evolution” of Intelligent Adaptive Cruise Control with […]
Ford and VW team up on future vehicle tech
Carmakers Ford and Volkswagen have signed agreements to expand their global alliance on a range of technology including electric and autonomous vehicles. The companies think the alliance will “enhance ownership experiences” for current and future customers by “more rapidly innovating vehicle offerings, incorporating relevant new technologies, delivering better utility and offering more model choices”. In […]
Ford patents inflatable solar panel
Ford has come up with an interesting way to charge electric cars – a solar panel which grows beyond its roof when it’s parked. The website GearPatrol.com has spotted a patent application lodged in the US which shows how the retractable cover extends across a vehicle, increasing the area of solar panels and therefore the […]
