4 Millionth Sync Installed

Ford Delivers 4 Millionth SYNC In-Car Connectivity System; 9 Million More Expected by 2015

• Ford SYNC^®, the voice-activated in-car connectivity system introduced in 2007, now is installed in more than 4 million Ford Motor Company vehicles

• With plans to begin offering SYNC in Europe and Asia this year, Ford projects 9 million additional vehicles will be equipped with SYNC by 2015

• Powered by the Microsoft Windows Embedded Automotive platform, SYNC has created the “upgradeable car,” allowing new features and improvements to be seamlessly integrated on a pace with consumer trends and preferences

• SYNC is now available on 100 percent of Ford’s 2012 retail product lineup in North America; all-new Ford Fusion and Flex are launching with SYNC as standard equipment – setting a trend for a hands-free, voice-activated future

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 9, 2012 – Just one year after eclipsing the 3 million mark, Ford has sold the 4 millionth vehicle equipped with SYNC^®, the industry-leading in-car connectivity system powered by Microsoft.

Launching globally this year, Ford SYNC powered by Microsoft is forecasted to reach 9 million new customers around the world in the next three years.

“SYNC has been a transformational technology not only for Ford, but for the industry,” said Derrick Kuzak, Ford group vice president for Global Product Development. “SYNC has been integral to keeping pace with the consumer, delivering value through a constant flow of new features that keep them connected to their digital lives in a safer, simpler and smarter way while driving.”

SYNC has evolved quickly since first introduced in late 2007 and grown to provide customers even more value, with no additional cost.

Soon after launch, Ford added SYNC 911 Assist^™, which connects drivers directly with 911 operators after an accident. It is the only in-car, non-subscription call-for-help system.

Ford’s SYNC Services launched in 2009, providing voice-activated access to a cloud-based network of information including traffic, news, sports, weather, horoscopes, stock quotes and movie listings along with business searches and turn-by-turn directions.

In 2010 Ford added SYNC^® AppLink^™ – allowing smartphone-equipped customers access to a growing number of popular apps using voice control such as Pandora internet radio and Stitcher.

Operator Assist, introduced in 2011 and available through SYNC Services, gives users access to live help with business searches and turn-by-turn directions.

The upgradeable car

Ford’s open platform approach to mobile device connectivity has helped SYNC stand out in the industry, allowing for continuous improvement of the user experience and the addition of new features.

“Listening to customers and monitoring consumer trends has helped make SYNC a ‘must-have’ technology,” said Kuzak. “We will continuously improve SYNC based on customer feedback with the availability of software updates and upgrades.”

Ford internal research has found that customers who bought 2011 models of Ford vehicles treat SYNC as a must-have technology and purchase the system 82 percent of the time. Also, more than 80 percent of SYNC users said they are likely to recommend the system to others.

And using information collected in customer clinics, Ford engineers have been able to pinpoint opportunities for improvement and are acting on it with plans to soon launch a significant software upgrade for existing owners of SYNC with MyFord Touch^®.

“SYNC has allowed us to create the upgradeable car,” said Kuzak. “With the SYNC platform inside the car, offering our owners updates will be very similar to what they experience with their smartphones and laptops.”

During the customer clinics held after the initial release of MyFord Touch, customers said they wanted the system to be faster and easier to use with simpler graphics. Ford engineers listened, resulting in a major upgrade to MyFord Touch that will roll out in a few months as 2013 model year vehicles are introduced.

Engineers and developers from Ford and Microsoft often collaborate on upgrades and other projects related to the performance of SYNC to ensure functionality with the Microsoft Windows Embedded Automotive platform.

“Ford and Microsoft are driven by a common vision to give consumers the ability to combine their digital lifestyle with their life on the road,” said Windows Embedded General Manager Kevin Dallas. “Windows Embedded Automotive enables Ford more flexibility and extensibility to innovate, speed up the product refresh cycle, and evolve SYNC to keep up with the fast pace of the consumer electronics industry.”

The upgrade will appear first on the all-new Ford Escape, and 2013 Flex and Taurus models. Current owners of 2011-12 models of Ford Explorer, Edge, Lincoln MKX and the 2012 Ford Focus will be mailed a USB memory stick equipped with the software upgrade at no charge.

In addition to faster touch-screen response time, the software upgrade will include the following enhancements:

• Improved voice recognition experience powered by Nuance
• Tablet device compatibility
• Audible.com audiobook support
• Connected navigation powered by TeleNav featuring new map data by NAVTEQ
• Improved phone compatibility
• Gracenote album cover art database featuring the latest music metadata available

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About Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 166,000 employees and about 70 plants worldwide, the company’s automotive brands include Ford and Lincoln. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford and its products worldwide, please visit http://corporate.ford.com.

Ford delivered the first Focus Electric – the first electric vehicle to achieve a 100 miles per gallon equivalent (MPGe) with seating for five – to Google just before the 2011 holiday break. The vehicle headlines Ford’s fuel-efficient lineup, nearly one-third of which features a model with 40 mpg or more in 2012.



Ford Introduces Gas-Free Focus Electric with 100+ MPGe Expected; Nearly a Third of Lineup Now Offers 40-mpg Model

• Ford introduces gasoline-free 2012 Focus Electric, expected to be the first five-passenger electric vehicle with a 100 miles per gallon equivalent (MPGe)

• Nearly one-third of Ford's vehicle lines will feature a model with 40 mpg or more in 2012

• Focus Electric is the first all-electric vehicle to offer faster charging technology, allowing it to charge in half the time of a Nissan Leaf using 240-volt outlets

• C-MAX Hybrid is projected to achieve better fuel economy than Toyota Prius v and C-MAX Energi plug-in hybrid projected to achieve better miles per gallon equivalent in electric mode than Toyota Prius plug-in hybrid. With the C-MAX lineup, Ford becomes the largest hybrid transmission producer in North America


DEARBORN, Mich. – Ford's world-class Michigan Assembly Plant is starting production of the 2012 Focus Electric, expected to be the first five-passenger, all-electric car to achieve more than a 100 miles per gallon equivalent (MPGe) fuel efficiency rating.

Focus Electric also is the first of its kind to feature faster charging, which will halve Nissan Leaf's time to fully recharge the battery and help drivers to more than double the expected single-charge range in a busy day of driving and recharging.

The car headlines Ford's transformed lineup, one-third of which will feature a model with 40 mpg or more in 2012, building on the company's commitment to give fuel-efficiency-minded customers the Power of Choice.

"The Focus Electric is a shining example of the leading fuel economy Ford is offering for each new vehicle," said Derrick Kuzak, group vice president, Global Product Development. "Whether people want a hybrid, plug-in hybrid or full battery-electric vehicle, we have a family of vehicles for them to consider, providing a range of options to best meet their needs and support their driving habits and lifestyles."

Even with relatively stable gas prices, fuel economy is the top purchase consideration for new vehicles. Nearly 45 percent of customers say fuel economy is their top consideration based on a Ford survey of Americans in 36 cities this fall. Styling is the next consideration, with only 16 percent of study participants saying it is their top purchase driver.

Ford's rollout of electrified vehicles began in December 2010 with the 2011 Ford Transit Connect Electric – a small commercial van built in collaboration with Azure Dynamics. Ford's other 40-mpg vehicles include:

• Focus SE
• Fiesta
• Focus Electric
• C-MAX Hybrid
• C-MAX Energi
• Three vehicles yet to be announced

With 20 years of Ford research and innovation behind the software and hardware technology, the company offers proven engineering and design with Focus Electric. Ford holds approximately 500 patents on the hybrid technology used in the new Focus Electric and its other electrified vehicles.

Faster charging

Focus Electric is designed to offer enough range to cover the majority of daily driving habits of Americans. Its expected 100 MPGe is better than Chevrolet Volt and all electric vehicles with seating for five.

It will be the first electrified vehicle to offer faster charging with 240-volt outlets, which can be installed in customer homes. The battery can be recharged in just more than three hours using a 240-volt charging station, about half the charging time of the 2012 Nissan Leaf.

Faster charging with 240 volts also can extend range as drivers can more quickly recharge between stops – up to 30 miles per charge hour – so they can more than double the vehicle's range with multiple charging stops during a busy day of driving.
A unique value charging feature, powered by Microsoft, will help owners in the U.S. charge their vehicles at the cheapest utility rates, lowering the cost of ownership.

Elec-tech

Focus Electric introduces new features and technologies – including a unique version of the MyFord Touch® driver connect system especially for electric vehicles and a smartphone app called MyFord® Mobile that helps plug-in owners control their vehicles remotely.

The sleek and stylish five-door hatchback is designed to deliver real driving enjoyment as well. The all-electric powertrain and single-speed transmission provide immediate responsiveness and smooth acceleration when the driver steps on the accelerator, up to a top speed of 84 mph.
The Focus Electric is a dynamic driver's car, sharing the steering, handling and braking feel with the agile, sporty, fuel-powered Focus models upon which it's based. At the same time, the absence of a gasoline or diesel engine and outstanding aerodynamics lead to a remarkably quiet, comfortable in-car experience.

A limited number of Focus Electrics will first be available in California and the New York/New Jersey areas. Availability of the Focus Electric will expand in 2012 to the remaining 15 launch markets as production ramps up.

The 19 launch markets also include Atlanta; Austin and Houston, Texas; Boston; Chicago; Denver; Detroit; Los Angeles; San Francisco; San Diego; New York; Orlando, Fla.; Phoenix and Tucson, Ariz.; Portland, Ore.; Raleigh-Durham, N.C.; Richmond, Va.; Seattle; and Washington, D.C.

MAXimum efficiency

The Ford C-MAX Hybrid and C-MAX Energi plug-in hybrid are Ford's first compact multi-activity vehicles (MAVs) in North America and offer high mileage and low emissions as well as a distinctive design and flexible interior.

The C-MAX Hybrid and C-MAX Energi use the company's next-generation powersplit hybrid technology in combination with a lighter, smaller lithium-ion battery system. Both models provide maximum fuel efficiency by pairing the high-voltage lithium-ion battery and electric traction motor with a high-efficiency Atkinson-cycle gasoline engine. This technology enables the gasoline engine to run less than the previous generation.

C-MAX Hybrid is targeted to deliver better fuel economy than the Toyota Prius v. C-MAX Energi is expected to deliver better MPGe in electric mode than the Toyota Prius plug-in hybrid and to achieve more than 500 miles of driving range using the battery and engine.

The C-MAX Hybrid and C-MAX Energi, like the Focus Electric, have been engineered and built to deliver engaging driving dynamics and technologies. In addition, C-MAX Energi and Focus Electric will offer MyFord Touch and MyFord Mobile, designed to make charging and driving the vehicle even more efficient, affordable and easier to live with.

Hybrid transmission leader

When C-MAX Hybrid launches, Ford becomes North America's largest maker of hybrid transmissions.

Ford engineered the transmission and upgraded the controls with a goal of creating the industry's highest-performing and smoothest-operating hybrid transmission. Among the hybrid transmission's innovations:

• Electric motors capable of operating at higher electric speeds
• A new, super-efficient cooling system that enables higher speeds in electric drive
• Optimized gear ratios enabling improvement in fuel economy
• More precise controls to deliver higher levels of refinement as the powertrain transitions between engine and electric drive
• Reduced weight to help increase fuel economy

This is the first hybrid transmission to be designed and built by Ford. Production is moving from a supplier in Japan to the Van Dyke Transmission Plant in Sterling Heights, Mich., which also will assemble battery packs for Ford's hybrid and electric vehicles.

Building green vehicles cleaner
Ford completely transformed Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, Mich., into an environmentally friendly workplace with flexible manufacturing capability.

With the new electrified vehicles and the new Focus ST performance model also coming in 2012, Ford's Michigan Assembly Plant is the first facility in the world capable of building a full array of vehicles – gas-powered, EcoBoost®, electric, hybrid and plug-in hybrid – all on the same production line.

The plant also features one of the largest solar power generation systems in the state as well as several electric vehicle charging stations, allowing the facility to operate on a blend of renewable and conventional electricity.

Renewable energy collected by the solar panels directly feeds the energy-efficient microgrid, helping power the plant. When the plant is inactive, such as holidays, the stored solar energy will provide power during periods of insufficient or inconsistent sunlight. Projected energy cost savings are approximately $160,000 per year.

The plant also has 10 electric vehicle charging stations that recharge the electric switcher trucks that transport parts between adjacent facilities – saving an estimated 86,000 gallons of gas a year.

Plus, 50 percent of the parts arriving for the all-new Focus are packed in cardboard, are carefully collected, sorted and recycled, as is the bubble wrap, the Styrofoam and the water bottles used by employees.