Bon appétit!
Monday, Oct. 24 is National Food Day, a celebration that unites communities all over America around healthy, affordable and sustainable food options and education. As part of this effort, Ford Motor Company is sharing a series of sustainable lunch menus that can be easily replicated by families anywhere. The ingredients used in these menus showcase many of the sustainable materials Ford is using to displace petroleum usage in its cars and trucks. So whether it's seats made from soy beans or bins made from wheat straw, Ford wants to share sustainable and healthy menus inspired by the company's eco-friendly materials strategy. Menus can be found here.
Dan Pierce | dpierc41@ford.com | 313.594.0949
New SYNC software update gives more drivers safer texting alternatives
Ford is giving more SYNC® users the ability to have text messages read aloud to them while driving through the latest free SYNC software update. The update, G1 V3.2.2, is tailored for owners of select SYNC-equipped 2011 and early-release 2012 vehicles. The update includes the emerging Message Access Profile Bluetooth® standard, which is custom-made for the automotive hands-free environment and outlines a set of features and procedures used to exchange email, SMS and MMS between SYNC and a smartphone. Since SYNC launched in 2007, Ford has offered several significant and simple software-based updates, and owners are taking advantage with nearly 14,000 software downloads occurring monthly.
Alan Hall | ahall32@ford.com | 313.594.3744
Ford to demonstrate smart electrification technology that adapts with green cities
Ford Motor Company continues its research into how cloud-based technology can make vehicles smarter and – for the first time ever – will publicly demonstrate the innovation during the 18th World Congress on Intelligent Transport Systems next week. Ford Motor Company Executive Chairman Bill Ford will be a featured speaker. He plans to talk about the future of transportation and emphasize how intelligent vehicles and innovations such as smart electrification can help solve emerging transportation issues on roads around the world. Ford researchers will show how a prototype Escape plug-in hybrid could use a combination of cloud-based and proprietary technology to learn when to switch from gasoline to electric power upon entering a certain area.
Dan Pierce | dpierc41@ford.com | 313.594.0949
Seven auto manufacturers collaborate on one charging station
Recognizing the importance of a single international approach for DC fast charging, Audi, BMW, Daimler, Ford, General Motors, Porsche and Volkswagen have agreed on the combined charging system as an international standardized approach to charge electric vehicles in Europe and the U.S. The system is a combined charging approach integrating all charging scenarios into one vehicle inlet/charging connector and uses identical ways for the vehicle to communicate with the charging station. This allows electric vehicles from all seven automakers to share the same fast charging stations.
Dan Pierce | dpierc41@ford.com | 313.594.0949
