Ford Motor Company to Provide Custom 2013 Mustang Boss 302 Laguna Seca for Cattle Baron’s Ball Auction

Ford Motor Company is excited to announce the donation of a customized 2013 Ford Mustang Boss 302 Laguna Seca for the 10th Anniversary Cattle Baron’s Ball Auction. The Candy Red Mustang will have a one-of-a-kind paint scheme created for the event. The goal in customizing the Mustang Boss 302 Laguna Seca is to create a vehicle that will attract the highest bids from car collectors and ultimately the most money to support American Cancer Society research, programs and services for cancer survivors and their loved ones throughout Metro Detroit.

“Like many people, my family has been personally affected by the challenges of cancer and I am proud to chair Cattle Baron’s Ball in Detroit,” said Jim Farley, Ford Motor Company group vice president for Global Marketing, Sales and Service. “As a fan of the powerful, historic Mustang, I am especially pleased to provide this American icon for auction.”

Since 2003, the American Cancer Society Cattle Baron’s Ball has enjoyed record-breaking success and is recognized as one of the most distinctive charitable events in Metro Detroit. Guests of Cattle Baron’s Ball enjoy a unique Western-themed event complete with live entertainment, Texas-style cuisine provided by Detroit’s finest eateries, dancing, a high-end live and silent auction, and other special attractions. This year’s event will feature a private, unplugged performance by superstar Toby Keith sponsored by Ford.

“Because of the significant value of the one-of-a-kind 2013 Mustang Boss 302 Laguna Seca, there will be an opportunity for call-in bids during the live auction,” said Jill Rafferty, director, Distinguished Events, American Cancer Society.

Courtesy of Ford

Ford's 'Random Acts of Fusion' Teams Up with Steve Harvey Morning Show to Award $25,000 to Benefit Local Community

Ford's "Random Acts of Fusion" program announces a week-long contest in partnership with the Steve Harvey Morning Show to award one person with $25,000 to benefit a local community of the winner's choice

Individuals can enter the contest now through July 27 by visiting www.RandomActsofFusion.com and submitting an entry using 500 characters or less explaining what they would do if Ford gave them $25,000 to give back to their community. The winner will be flown to Las Vegas for the 2012 Ford Hoodie Awards and be recognized during the show's live broadcast there

Random Acts of Fusion is Ford's breakthrough transmedia marketing program aimed at introducing the all-new Fusion to millions before it hits showrooms this fall

What would you do if you were given $25,000 to give the people in your neighborhood an "unreal" experience? Ford is asking this very question as part of its "Random Acts of Fusion" transmedia marketing program. The week-long contest, in partnership with the Steve Harvey Morning Show, will award one person with a check for $25,000 to be used to benefit the community of their choice. The winner will also receive an all-expenses paid trip for two to the 2012 Ford Hoodie Awards taking place in Las Vegas Aug. 2-5.

"Life is all about acts - big and small - and through Random Acts of Fusion, this car and program will take real people to unexpected places," says Crystal Worthem, manager, Ford Brand Content & Alliances. "Being able to partner with the Steve Harvey Morning Show to select an individual to win $25,000 to benefit their community is yet another big way we are taking this program directly to real people. That we are able to tie this contest into an event like the Ford Hoodie Awards is perfect as this event is all about giving back and celebrating those who are doing great things within their respective communities."

Consumers can enter the contest by visiting www.RandomActsofFusion.com and submitting an entry using 500 characters or less explaining what they would do if Ford gave them $25,000 to give back to their community. The entry should describe how the contestant would use the prize money to improve their community, and/or bring a premium experience to their neighbors. A final winner will be selected July 30 and will be announced during the live broadcast of the Steve Harvey Morning Show in Las Vegas.

In addition, attendees of the 2012 Ford Hoodie Awards will have an opportunity to get a closer look at the 2013 Fusion and be entered into a raffle to win VIP access to the Ford Hoodie Awards Beach Party at Mandalay Bay Beach with performances by R&B singer Robin Thicke and Keith Sweat.

Ford first revealed Random Acts of Fusion in late June with a video message from TV and radio host and producer Ryan Seacrest giving consumers a clue to team up to find out how they could get the chance to experience the all-new Ford Fusion first. Through online videos, fans solved the first puzzle revealing the exciting additions of new celebrity personalities, the first unique consumer experiences and how they could get involved.

Consumers who follow Random Acts of Fusion will have the chance to experience something unique through daily storytelling, contests and local market events that - just like the all-new Fusion - will deliver something unexpected.

Consumers can get in on the act and enter the contest by following Fusion at www.RandomActsofFusion.com .

The all-new 2013 Ford Fusion With its sleek new design, the 2013 Ford Fusion brings alive the next generation of more expressive vehicles from Ford.

In addition to its fresh face, Fusion offers the broadest selection of fuel-efficient powertrains in the midsize car segment. It offers hybrid and plug-in hybrid alternatives, a pair of EcoBoost® four-cylinder engines, a normally aspirated four-cylinder engine, front-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive applications, and a choice between automatic and manually shifted six-speed transmissions.

On sale this fall, Fusion offers consumers seven must-have technologies including a Lane-Keeping System, adaptive cruise control, active park assist and MyFord Touch®.

Courtesy of Market Watch

C-MAX Energi Becomes America’s Most Affordable Plug-In Hybrid as Ford Cuts Hybrid Technology Costs by 30 Percent

Ford’s new C-MAX Energi – expected to offer 15 class-exclusive features, a 550-mile total range and more than 20 miles of electric-only range that is at least triple Toyota Prius plug-in hybrid’s EPA-tested range – will now be America’s most affordable plug-in hybrid when it goes on sale.

Available this fall for $29,995 after a federal tax credit, the C-MAX Energi is more affordable than the Prius plug-in hybrid. C-MAX Energi is Ford’s first production plug-in hybrid vehicle and part of the company’s first dedicated line of hybrids.

C-MAX Energi delivers a projected 550 miles of total range, a 95 mpg equivalent (MPGe) and an electric-only top speed higher than the Prius plug-in.  The new C-MAX Energi also has 60 more horsepower than the Prius plug-in hybrid considering full battery power, along with class-exclusive technologies such as hands-free liftgate and active park assist for easier parallel parking.

“The Ford C-MAX Energi is within financial reach for those who want a hybrid, but is also something customers will want to reach for because of its unique look and amazing value,” said Michael O’Brien, Ford electrified vehicle marketing manager. “It offers exceptional fuel economy, better features and a better price tag than a Prius plug-in hybrid, which we think will help make C-MAX Energi one of our most attractive vehicles for import customers.”

Ford expects about half of C-MAX buyers to trade in competitive models – one of the highest conquest rates of any Ford vehicle. C-MAX Energi will soon be available for order at Ford Certified EV Dealers.

Ford calls C-MAX Energi a “hybrid-plus” because it not only operates just like C-MAX Hybrid, but also features an external charge port and larger lithium-ion battery pack so owners can plug in the vehicles to fully charge the battery using either a standard 120-volt outlet or the available 240-volt charge station. The vehicle also is expected to be capable of making trips of more than 20 miles in electric-only mode and longer trips of as much as 550 miles on a single tank of gas and fully charged battery.

In California, the vehicle is expected to be AT-PZEV-compliant and qualify for much-desired access to the high-occupancy vehicle lanes that typically allow for faster travel. C-MAX Energi also is expected to qualify for additional tax credits up to $1,500 in California.

C-MAX Hybrid and C-MAX Energi figure prominently in Ford’s rollout of five electrified vehicles this year. Ford’s other electrified vehicles include:

• Focus Electric: Production began late 2011; America’s most fuel-efficient compact with 110 MPGe city; charge time of four hours with the available 240-volt charging station – nearly half the time as Nissan Leaf
• C-MAX Hybrid: Coming this fall; projected 47 mpg city, 3 mpg better than Toyota Prius v
• All-new Fusion Hybrid: Coming this fall; projected 47 mpg expected to beat Toyota Camry Hybrid by 5 mpg highway
• Fusion Energi plug-in hybrid: Will begin production by the end of this year; aiming to be the most fuel-efficient midsize car in the world with more than 100 MPGe

Maximizing efficiencies

Starting at $33,745 – and eligible for a $3,750 federal tax credit – Ford is passing along to customers cost savings that have been achieved through various efficiencies, says Kevin Layden, director, Ford’s Electrification Programs and Engineering.

Ford officials have said that the costs of its current hybrid system are 30 percent less than the costs of Ford’s previous-generation hybrid systems due in large part to those cost-containment efforts.

For example, Ford has cut costs by bringing in-house the development and manufacture of many aspects of vehicles such as C-MAX Energi. The hybrid battery system, hybrid transmission system and software for C-MAX Energi all were developed in-house.

Further, by creating global vehicle platforms, Ford maximizes the use of as many shared parts and components across as many lines as possible to lower overall costs.

Ford’s revamped Michigan Assembly Plant is the first facility in the world capable of building a full array of vehicles – gas-powered, electric, hybrid and plug-in hybrid – all on the same production line. That means C-MAX Energi is being built on the same line as C-MAX Hybrid, Focus, Focus Electric and Focus ST.

Maximizing experience

While the C-MAX Energi nameplate is new to the U.S. market, the technology and design has proven itself already in other ways and in other places with its fresh, modern style that provides plenty of utility.

Since 2010, more than 144,000 units of the five-passenger C-MAX gasoline and diesel versions have been sold in Europe – where the market is growing for vehicles slightly larger than compacts like Ford Focus and smaller than SUVs like Ford Escape. Though Ford is concentrating on hybrid versions of C-MAX in the U.S., the designs of C-MAX Energi and C-MAX Hybrid are based on the gasoline- and diesel-powered European version.

Like C-MAX Hybrid, C-MAX Energi has projected total system horsepower of 188 – reaching a peak of 195 with a fully charged battery – stemming from the combination of a gasoline engine and a battery-driven electric motor. When powered by gasoline, C-MAX Energi uses the all-new 2.0-liter Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder engine – powerful and fuel efficient and among the most advanced non-turbocharged four-cylinder powertrains Ford has ever offered.

Because owners plug in to charge the advanced lithium-ion battery in C-MAX Energi, the vehicle is able to achieve increased electric mode and total range. Lithium-ion batteries are lighter, more efficient and more powerful than nickel-metal-hydride batteries used in first-generation hybrids. They also promote faster charging times.

C-MAX Energi also benefits from 20 years of research and innovation behind the software and hardware technology it offers, incorporating many of the nearly 500 patents Ford holds in the area of hybrid technology.

For example, C-MAX Energi offers the latest generation of SmartGauge^® with EcoGuide. Designed to help drivers get the most from C-MAX, information such as instantaneous fuel economy can be displayed on one of two 4.2-inch LCD screens, helping drivers more closely monitor how their driving behavior affects the vehicle’s efficiency.

In the right cluster, redesigned imagery of green leaves shows overall driving efficiency. The left cluster shows Brake Coach, a feature that helps drivers optimize their use of the regenerative braking system so that driving range can be enhanced through proper braking techniques.

Available for C-MAX Energi is the MyFord^® Mobile smartphone application that allows users to monitor charging, receive alerts, find charge stations, plan trips and do more from their smartphones or computers for an effortless transition to an electrified vehicle lifestyle.

Courtesy of Ford

Ford RUTH Robot Has Feelings

Ford India Expands Engine Plant by 36 per cent

Ford India today announced it has completed the expansion of its engine plant, increasing annual engine production capacity 36 per cent to 340,000, helping transform the facility into a regional small engine hub.

The new facility was completed in record time of just over 14 months and creates capacity in manufacturing over additional 80,000 diesel engines annually.

The additional capacity will feed the surging demand for diesel powertrains in India and growing exports, creating more employment opportunities in the process. The ongoing expansion has already led to the hiring of 200 employees.

“We are delighted to see this new addition to our capacity in the Engine Plant as we gear up to move to the next stage of growth in India and the region,” said Michael Boneham, president and managing director, Ford India.

The facility is the first Ford plant in the world with single flexible production line manufacturing petrol and diesel engines. It is also the first Ford facility to run a flexible crank shaft production line producing crank shafts, and to have a fully flexible Cold test, Hot test and Dyno test facility for petrol and diesel engines.

“We are at an interesting phase of growth with the markets demanding swift responses from manufacturers, and I’m proud to say that with this plant’s amazingly flexible production lines of both petrol and diesel engines, we’re well-poised to move quickly,” Boneham added.

Boneham recently joined the Engine Plant’s chief, Balasundaram Radhakrishnan, vice-president, Powertrain Operations, Ford India, in cutting a ribbon to mark the roll-out of the 400,000^th engine from the plant.

“This is a special occasion for all of us at the Chennai Engine Plant. Commissioning this facility in record time is a tremendous milestone and just adds to the many significant achievements this plant has in terms of Quality, Safe, Smart and Green,” said Radhakrishnan.

“To be rolling out the 400,000^th engine from the Chennai plant in just under four years is an outstanding achievement, and one that everyone involved should be extremely proud,” said Gary Johnson,vice president, Manufacturing, Ford Asia Pacific and Africa. “Ford is currently building seven new plants across Asia Pacific and Africa, and we are making a significant commitment in India, which will see it become a regional hub for low-displacement engine production.”

One Plant: Many Smart Steps

The US$ 72 million investment, which has enabled the plant to enhance the Crankshaft Machining, Cylinder Head and Cylinder Block Machining at the Machine Shop with procurement of new equipment has also boosted its ability to handle more complex tasks. Today, the plant produces 12 Duratec petrol engine variants and five Duratorq diesel engine variants, allowing the workforce to hone its skills working on several variants.

Commissioning of the expanded facility is one of the key steps in Ford India’s transformation into a major export and manufacturing hub of small displacement engines -- 1.6 TiVCT, 1.4 HC and Duratorq engines will be exported to markets such as South Africa, Thailand and Taiwan. Nearly 40 percent of engines manufactured here will be exported.

The Chennai Engine plant has delivered several achievements in terms of Ford’s four pillars of Quality, Green, Safe and Smart. These include:

• The plant has the lowest water consumption among all Ford plants worldwide
• Uses vegetable-based cutting coolant for machining: An environment-friendly oil
• The plant has been awarded Ford’s technical excellence award (TMM) for four consecutive years

Courtesy of Ford

Changing an Air Filter

Air Filter

This project should cost you about $10, requires no tools and about 10 minutes of your time. You should do this every 12 months or 12,000 miles, whichever comes first. Here's what you do:

1. Find your filter under the hood of your car in a black rectangular box with metal clips on the side. If you don't see this when you pop the hood, just check your owner's manual.
2. Remove the old air filter and insert the new one in the same position that the old one was in.
3. Close the metal clips when you're finished.
4. You're done! To earn extra savings in the long run, try hitting your new air filter with some compressed air to clean out debris from time to time.

Thank you for the awesome review on Google+ Local!

"Love my new 2012 Ford F150 I bought from Friendly. Everyone there is really friendly and helpful. Ask for Tony in the internet department." -bhan berlus

Random Acts of Fusion

Unique Strategies for Smoother Auto Start-Stop Control Yield More Than 25 Patent Applications for Ford

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE In the quest to deliver better fuel efficiency for millions of drivers, Ford engineers have more than 25 patents pending for the $295 Auto Start-Stop on the all-new 2013 Ford Fusion. The best technology improves your life by doing its job effectively and then getting out of the way.

“We set out to make Auto Start-Stop in the 2013 Fusion as seamless to drivers as possible,” said Birgit Sorgenfrei, Ford’s Auto Start-Stop program manager. “We wanted the system to improve fuel efficiency but otherwise remain transparent, so we developed a number of unique control strategies to smooth out the performance.”

The ability to shut down the engine when the car isn’t moving has always been one of the most popular features of hybrid vehicles and it will be available on the new Fusion with the 1.6-liter EcoBoost^® four-cylinder engine.

At its most basic level, Auto Start-Stop switches off the engine when the car stops and instantly restarts it when the driver releases the brake pedal. Scratch below the surface though and there is actually a lot more going on. Auto Start-Stop engineering supervisor Kirk Pebley and his team have filed more than 25 patent applications for innovations developed in the electronic control strategy.

Until now, most non-hybrid vehicles with Auto Start-Stop have only been available with manual transmissions, but American drivers overwhelmingly opt for automatic transmissions. The new Fusion is the first Ford vehicle to offer Auto Start-Stop with a self-shifting gearbox. Since an automatic transmission needs to maintain internal hydraulic pressure even with the engine off, Ford added an electrically driven pump to the transmission along with the upgraded starter motor and the absorbed glass mat battery.

The challenge of combining Auto Start-Stop technology with an automatic transmission went beyond just adding the electric pump. In order to minimize launch delays after a restart, the engineers wanted to keep the transmission in gear even with the engine off as opposed to shifting it into neutral.

“We had to develop some unique control algorithms for the engine and transmission to overcome this obstacle and still ensure an extremely quick, smooth and quiet restart,” said Sorgenfrei.

“As the vehicle slows down, the brains of Auto Start-Stop are already hard at work even before the Fusion comes to a standstill,” said Pebley. “One of many keys to getting a robust engine restart is to make sure the battery has enough power to spin it back up.”

The control software includes a simulation model of the electrical system that constantly monitors the accessory loads. The model factors in the current draw from features like headlights, climate control, audio system and window defoggers to predict how much power will be available with the engine off and how fast the battery will drain. If the electrical load is demanding too much from the battery, Auto Start-Stop may be disabled to prevent a rough restart or being stuck with a flat battery.

Voltage blending is another feature the United States Patent and Trademark Office is now evaluating. While the engine is running, the alternator produces about 14 to 15 volts, but the battery only produces 12 volts with a full charge. When the Fusion is slowing down with Auto Start-Stop enabled, the load model tracks the vehicle speed and deceleration and then calculates when to ramp down the voltage from the alternator to the battery-only level before the Fusion stops. This blending helps to ensure the driver doesn’t experience any light dimming or sudden fluctuations in ventilation fan speed.

The Auto Start-Stop team has filed several patent applications related to the sophisticated signal monitoring and controls for the climate control system. On hot summer days, the sun’s energy can heat up a car interior within minutes, quickly making things uncomfortable for the driver and passengers. In addition to the cabin temperature and humidity, Auto Start-Stop monitors the temperature of the evaporator core that starts to rise before the occupants even feel a change inside the car. When this happens, the engine will restart sooner, enabling cooler heads to prevail.

No matter what type of propulsion system moves a vehicle, driver behavior plays a big part in determining ultimate efficiency. A better-informed driver can make smarter choices that help save dollars at the gas pump. When the current-generation Fusion Hybrid debuted in 2009, the innovative SmartGauge instrument cluster provided drivers with an unprecedented degree of information about energy use in the vehicle.

“When Auto Start-Stop is disabled because of a high accessory load, we wanted drivers to understand why so that they could opt to switch some things off if it’s appropriate,” said Pebley. “If the rear defrost is still on but the window is clear, they can switch it off to gain the efficiency benefit of shutting down the engine when the car stops.”

The 2013 Fusion with Auto Start-Stop is unique in providing this sort of coaching on non-hybrid vehicles.

“Smart decisions are born from having more complete information,” said Sorgenfrei. “Whether it’s the messages we provide to drivers or the dozens of signals that help the control system look ahead in time, the 2013 Fusion Auto Start-Stop helps drivers save on gas without getting in the way.”

Ford is bringing this capability found on German luxury cars costing tens of thousands of dollars more to the Fusion for just $295. Best of all, even though drivers might not feel it working, the fuel savings of up to 10 percent can save up to $1,100 compared to other midsize sedans over five years of driving.

Courtesy of BlueOvalNews

2010 Ford F-150 Raptor - On Land, Through Water, In the Air - KBB