Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Ford debuts new curve control technology

Sensors help slow vehicle rounding a turn to rapidly
Alisa Priddle/The Detroit News

Dearborn--For anyone who has experienced that moment of panic from rounding an exit ramp too quickly, Ford Motor Co. is offering a safety solution.

The 2011 Ford Explorer--due later this year--has an upgraded electronic stability control system to better hug the road if a driver takes a curve too quickly. Ford demonstrated its curve control technology recently.

The technology, in development for 18 months, builds on the current stability control system, using the same sensors to monitor how much the driver wants to turn, versus how much the vehicle is actually turning. If the input data determines the driver won't make the turn safely, it can slow the vehicle 10 miles per hour in a second, by cutting engine torque and applying the brakes.

In the first demonstration, with stability control but no curve control, an Explorer taking a curve at 50 mph wiped out orange cones as the rear end skidded out. Test driver and engineer Dave Messih said in real life, the car would have been on the shoulder--a mistake that can result in a rollover. In the second demonstration, with curve technology engaged, Messih took the corner at the same speed and again kept his foot off the brake. The corrective technology braked and snapped the rear into place, executing the turn seamlessly. The sensation was dramatic but not jarring.

"We all like to think we're professional drivers and don't need this," said analyst Erich Merkle, president of Autoconomy in Grand Rapids. "Even good drivers in unfamiliar territory or in severe weather could benefit from this," he said. "Putting it in a family vehicle makes sense."

Take a curve quickly contributes to 50,000 crashes a year in the United States, said Pal Mascarenas, vice president of global product engineering.

Ford's curve control will be standard on the Explorer and will be added to 90 percent of Ford's light trucks and crossovers by 2015. Eventually, it will find its way to cars, but because their lower center of gravity makes them less likely to roll over, trucks are the initial priority, said Sue Cischke, group vice president of sustainability, environment and safety engineering.

Ford's system is unique, said Ali Jammoul, chief chassis engineer. There is little incremental cost; it was developed as part of continuous improvement of stability control and no additional hardware is required.

For 2011, the Explorer switches to a car-based vehicle. Curve control is one of a raft of safety features including inflatable rear seat belts, adaptive cruise control and blind spot and cross-traffic alerts.

In 2001, problems with Firestone tires contributed to a number of Explorer rollovers that led to regulations mandating stability control. For the new Explorer, "Ford is going way overboard on safety features," Merkle said.

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Stock Quotes, Horoscopes and More Added to Ford SYNC Cloud-Based Services; No Extra Fees Attached

DEARBORN--Horoscopes, stock quotes, movie listings and access to airlines, rental cars and hotels are just a voice command away for customers driving Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles equipped with the SYNC app Traffic, Directions and Information (TDI).

And customers did not have to inquire, purchase or upgrade anything to get this whole new set of services. All that is needed is an active owner account on www.syncmyride.com.

"SYNC is helping us move at a faster pace and deliver the level of connectivity and access that consumers want," said Doug VanDagens, director, Ford Connected Services Organization. "Now, by leveraging the cloud, we continue to give our customers access to more and more services without having to touch the vehicle or inconvenience the owner with more subscription fees."

Ford expaneded SYNC TDI services to include stock quotes, entertainment, travel and movie categories, in addition to the already available traffic, directions, news and business search capabilities. The new services are provided by Microsoft Tellme, one of the many partners in Ford's cloud-based Service Delivery Network, which gives SYNC users the ability to use a simple Bluetooth-enabled cell phone to connect and voice request the information they want while in the car.

More features, no extra cost
Owners of SYNC-equipped 2010 and 2011 Ford, Lincoln and Mercury products will have immediate access to the enhanced TDI services.

"Current TDI users will hear a special announcement through SYNC the first time they call in, announcing stocks, movies, horoscopes and travel, and informing them that they have more choices," adds VanDagens.

When users say the "services" voice command, they can ask for "stocks," "horoscopes,""movies" or "travel," and follow the prompts. They can also create a personalized list of stocks and horoscopes to follow by visiting their account on www.syncmyride.com, clicking on the "Manage favorites" tab and adding their top picks.

In total, the new SYNC TDI categories offer the following options:

Stocks
  • Say a company name and receive real-time stock quotes
  • Request other specifics such as the high/low of the day, or a 52-week period, share volume, market cap and price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio

Horoscopes

  • Speak an astrological sign to hear the daily horoscope
  • Hear list of astrological signs
Movies
  • Search for movie theaters near customer's current location or provided city
  • Receive lists of new releases
  • Say a movie name and receive rating information, theater names where movies are playing
  • Request movie times at a location for today, tomorrow or the next day
Travel
  • Request to be directly connected to 150 airlines, the 50 largest hotel chains and the 11 largest rental car agencies---all in the U.S.