Sunday, February 17, 2013

Ford and PlugShare Team Up


Ford and PlugShare Team Up to Help Ford C-MAX Energi and Fusion Energi Drivers Find Plugs with MyFord Mobile

  • Ford is teaming up with PlugShare®, an industry-leading aggregator of public charge stations, to provide real-time charge station information to drivers of Ford’s all-new plug-in hybrid vehicles – C-MAX Energi and Fusion Energi
  • Ford is the only manufacturer to offer real-time charging station location information through its smartphone app, MyFord® Mobile
  • The collaboration will provide Ford customers comprehensive access to the quickly growing number of public charge stations in the U.S. and Canada
  • Ford also announced its commitment to the Workplace Charging Challenge with the Department of Energy, which aims to increase the number of U.S. employers offering workplace charging by tenfold in the next five years
  • PlugShare.com offers a unique advantage by aggregating publicly available and crowd-sourced information on charging station locations along with photos, reviews and check-ins
DEARBORN, Mich., Feb. 7, 2013 – Ford’s award-winning MyFord Mobile smartphone app and Web portal now features a charging station finder powered by PlugShare.com and will be compatible with the new Ford Fusion Energi and C-MAX Energi plug-in hybrid vehicles.
PlugShare® brings a powerful new component to MyFord® Mobile with its live database of charging stations across North America. In addition to aggregating publicly available lists of stations from a variety of sources, PlugShare incorporates crowd-sourced information from users to provide the most comprehensive dataset available.
“When we launched the MyFord Mobile app and portal for the Focus Electric last year, it was the most advanced remote management app of its kind in the industry,” said Bill Frykman, business and product development manager. “We’re now expanding availability of the system to drivers of our new plug-in hybrids and offering some unique features specifically tailored to these long-range vehicles.”
“It is a little known fact that the majority of charging stations are currently free to use. By giving drivers a clear view of the reality of charging, PlugShare and Ford are showing more and more drivers that now is a great time to start driving on electricity,” said Forrest North, CEO of Xatori, maker of PlugShare. “With our real-time, crowd-sourcing features that include photos, reviews and check-ins, PlugShare has quickly become one of the largest and most popular charging station locators in North America. We are thrilled an established industry leader such as Ford has chosen PlugShare for MyFord Mobile.”
In addition to an EPA-estimated rating of 21 miles of pure electric driving range per charge, both C-MAX Energi and Fusion Energi have an EPA-estimated range of 620 miles on one tank of gas and one charge.
Owners of the first-ever Ford plug-in hybrid vehicles can now use their smartphones from almost anywhere to monitor and manage the battery charging process, find charging stations, check energy efficiency and earn achievements for efficient driving.
The station finder component of the MyFord Mobile app now blends point-of-interest search with charging station information from PlugShare.com to let drivers take advantage of opportunistic charging wherever their destination might be. Users can search for terms such as “pizza” or “Mexican food” near a location and MyFord Mobile will display the results along with the nearest available charge for each entry. Drivers can select a destination based on proximity to a plug.
“Access to public charging allows our C-MAX Energi and Fusion Energi customers to drive more electric miles – helping improve our environmental footprint and improve energy security,” said Mike Tinskey, director, Vehicle Electrification and Infrastructure. “We’ve seen impressive growth in the number of installed public charge stations – growing from fewer than 3,000 units in 2010 to more than 11,500 installed units in the U.S. today.
“This collaboration allows for Ford customers to access all the currently installed stations, as well as gain immediate access to new charge stations as they are installed,” Tinskey added.
MyFord Mobile’s trip and charge log has also been updated to provide drivers with information about how efficiently they are using their plug-in hybrid vehicle in both electric and hybrid mode. By taking advantage of available data on electricity use, hybrid gas mileage and regenerative braking, the app coaches drivers to adjust their driving style to be more efficient.
MyFord Mobile still lets plug-in hybrid owners check the state of charge of the battery, get alerts if they forgot to plug the car in or if charging stops, and take advantage of value charging for the lowest electricity rates during off-peak hours. Drivers can also precondition the cabin temperature while the car is plugged in to reduce the load on the drivetrain for enhanced efficiency.
“We designed MyFord Mobile to provide owners of Ford plug-in vehicles with a convenient way to monitor and manage their total energy usage, and we’re continually working to make the experience better,” added Frykman.
MyFord Mobile is available in the Apple iOS App Store for iPhones and the Google Play Store for Android phones. The MyFord Mobile Web portal is at http://www.myfordmobile.com. Some features of the MyFord Mobile app including point-of-interest search, trip and charge log, and achievements will become available after the initial launch.
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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 171,000 employees and 65 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.
About Xatori Inc.
Xatori is a Palo Alto-based software company founded in 2010 that builds innovative software for plug-in electric vehicles. Xatori’s first product PlugShare is the most popular and widely used charging station finder showing more than 15,000 charging stations in North America. The information is crowd-sourced and freely available through Android, iOS and the Web.The company's GreenCharge and Charge Manager apps, (http://www.greenchargeapp.com/, www.chargemanager.com) allows users and fleets to view real-time battery data and to share the environmental and monetary benefits of owning an electric vehicle. More on the company at: http://www.xatori.com/.

Friday, February 15, 2013

Fiesta ST Race Car


Ford Announces Fiesta ST Race Car, Expanded Partnerships for Global RallyCross Championship

  • Ford Racing to introduce new OlsbergsMSE-built Fiesta ST Global RallyCross Championship (GRC) race car based off the new Ford Fiesta ST production car, which goes on sale this summer
  • The OlsbergsMSE Fiesta ST GRC cars will be driven by Tanner Foust and Brian Deegan
  • Ford Racing and OlsbergsMSE sign a multiyear manufacturer partnership to build on their back-to-back Global RallyCross Championships and multiple X Games medals
  • Ford driver and 2012 X Games silver medalist Ken Block will also compete in the 2013 Global RallyCross Championship and will introduce his new Fiesta ST GRC car later this year
  • The OlsbergsMSE Fiesta ST GRC race car will be on display Thursday and Friday at the Chicago Auto Show
  • Ford announced as sole automotive sponsor for the 2013 summer X Games with RallyCross events at all four global events
Click here for more from the Chicago Auto Show.
DEARBORN, Mich., Feb. 6, 2013 – In many ways the 2014 Ford Fiesta ST is a race car built for the street; Global RallyCross Championship (GRC) fans will soon get an up-close view of the same car built exclusively for competition at the Chicago Auto Show.
With Ford’s global launch of Fiesta ST under way, Ford Racing will introduce the ST performance badge in the 2013 season of the Global RallyCross Championship and Global X Games events.
The move is part of an expanded Global RallyCross program for Ford as it capitalizes on the growing popularity of the series and its increased visibility through X Games and some larger-than-life personalities, including Tanner Foust, Brian Deegan and Ken Block.
The first Fiesta ST GRC cars will debut this season with Block, Deegan and two-time Global RallyCross champion Foust. Foust and Deegan will give performance car enthusiasts and media the first look at the OlsbergsMSE Fiesta ST GRC race car this week at the Chicago Auto Show.
“Global RallyCross has been a great series for us to demonstrate what Ford’s small performance cars can do,” said Jamie Allison, director, Ford Racing. “With great drivers and teams, and now a formal manufacturer partnership with OlsbergsMSE, Ford Racing’s commitment to Global RallyCross is quickly growing. We’re excited about the debut of the Fiesta ST GRC car this year, and it will be fantastic to see Ford’s global performance car compete in four countries around the world this season.”
To support development of the RallyCross Fiesta ST program, Ford Racing has formalized its manufacturer partnership with OlsbergsMSE, whose credentials include two consecutive GRC driver championships with Foust, and podium finishes at all six rounds in 2012. The team has helped Ford earn GRC manufacturer’s championships in 2011 and 2012.
OlsbergsMSE will field the Fiesta STs for Foust and Deegan.
“OlsbergsMSE has a good history developing extreme/RallyCross cars, and with the longer-term manufacturer relationship with Ford and its technical support, together we will develop even stronger RallyCross cars,” said Andreas Eriksson, OlsbergsMSE team principal. “The partnership is exactly what OlsbergsMSE needs to continue to be a winning team in the coming years.
“There are great teams and manufacturers coming to the series and the sport,” Eriksson continued. “We will have better and tougher competition, and I look forward to the challenge of staying persistent in the development of our cars.
“Outside of our technical development, we will also be very focused on providing our drivers with the information and input they need to be the best,” Eriksson added. “This is the way our entire OlsbergsMSE program moves forward, together with Ford. To be the best in this extreme sport, hard work and dedication is required from drivers and team.”
Joining Foust and Deegan to round out Ford’s GRC program is Block and the Hoonigan Racing Division. Block’s strong 2012 Global RallyCross season was highlighted by a silver medal at X Games 18 behind World Rally Champion Sebastien Loeb, and he posted top two qualifying positions in each of the series’ last four rounds.
“I’m stoked to be able to say I’m going to be continuing to race Fords in Global RallyCross for the next few years, especially with the four X Games events this summer,” said Block. “For the upcoming 2013 season, my team is taking everything we learned during my rookie season last year and applying it to an all-new RallyCross car. It’s going to be a fun season.”
The Global RallyCross Championship will have a true global presence in 2013. In addition to five expected North American events, there will be four X Games in 2013 with RallyCross competition. Ford is sole automotive sponsor for all four 2013 summer global X Games, which will include the traditional event in Los Angeles and new venues in Brazil, Spain and Germany.
“Global RallyCross and X Games allow us to connect with the next generation of Ford customers and a very important group of performance enthusiasts,” said Allison. “They already know Ford for great products like Mustang and Raptor, but are becoming a real force helping drive the growing B- and C-car performance segments.”
Fiesta success in 2012 Global RallyCross Championship
  • 1-2 finish at Charlotte Motor Speedway with Marcus Gronholm and Foust
  • Sweep at Texas Motor Speedway with Gronholm, Foust and Deegan
  • Silver and bronze at X Games with Block and Deegan
  • Third-place podium finish at New Hampshire Motor Speedway with Deegan
  • 1-2 finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with Foust and Deegan
  • 1-2 finish at SEMA in Las Vegas with Foust and Deegan
  • Foust clinched second-consecutive GRC Championship, followed by Deegan
  • Ford clinched second-consecutive GRC manufacturer’s championship with four first-place finishes and 12 podium appearances
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About Fiesta ST
Fiesta ST is the result of the combined efforts of Team RS in Europe and SVT in the United States. Fiesta ST may be born with racing DNA, but buyers won’t have to pay for that performance at the pump. Available exclusively as a five-door hatchback in North America and with a six-speed manual transmission, Fiesta ST is projected to achieve up to 34 mpg. A new high-output variant of the award-winning 1.6-liter EcoBoost® four-cylinder engine propels Fiesta ST with an estimated 197 horsepower and 214 lb.-ft. of torque. This compact performance machine sports a unique grille and chin spoiler with new rear diffuser and fascia extensions. Bright tipped dual-exhaust pipes and high-mount spoiler along with unique 17-inch wheels complete the visual package: Fiesta ST looks like it’s made for the racetrack. For more information regarding the Ford Fiesta ST, please visit http://media.ford.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=37425.
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 171,000 employees and 65 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.

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Ford Focus Electric Earns Top Vehicle Safety Rating


Ford Focus Electric Earns Top Vehicle Safety Rating from NHTSA

  • The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) awarded the 2013 Ford Focus Electric a five-star Overall Vehicle Score in its New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) testing
  • Focus Electric was designed with safety in mind with its airbags and AdvanceTrac® with electronic stability control
  • The driver’s airbag uses a reconfigured curve-shaped tether system that pulls in the lower section to create a “pocket” to help lessen the impact of the airbag on the driver’s chest and ribs in frontal crashes
DEARBORN, Mich., Feb. 7, 2013 – The 2013 Ford Focus Electric earned a top vehicle safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
Focus Electric, Ford’s first all-electric passenger vehicle, earned a five-star Overall Vehicle Score in NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) testing, which combines vehicle performance in frontal and side-impact crash tests and resistance to rollover.
“As more people shop for electrified vehicles, the Focus Electric now offers both a top vehicle safety rating from NHTSA and a faster-charging technology that allows it to fully recharge in three to four hours,” said Steve Kenner, global director of the Ford Automotive Safety Office.
Focus Electric features front and side airbag technologies to tailor deployment to individual occupants. The driver’s airbag uses a reconfigured curve-shaped tether system that pulls in the lower section to create a “pocket” to help lessen the impact of the airbag on the driver’s chest and ribs in frontal crashes. Innovative side airbags feature unique shoulder vents that stay open and reduce pressure for smaller occupants who typically benefit from reduced forces.
Ford just announced that more than 900 Ford dealers will soon be certified to sell plug-in electrified vehicles, including Focus Electric, up from 67 dealers in February 2012. The spike in electric vehicle-certified Ford dealers reflects increased demand for the company’s electrified vehicles. Ford’s share of the electrified vehicle market is now second behind only Toyota.
Focus Electric safety and security features include:
  • AdvanceTrac® with electronic stability control
  • Dual-stage front airbags
  • Front seat side airbags
  • Side-curtain airbags
  • Four-wheel anti-lock braking system
  • LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tether Anchors for Children)
  • Anti-theft engine immobilizer
The 2013 Ford Focus earned a NHTSA five-star Overall Vehicle Score as well.
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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 171,000 employees and 65 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’s products, please visit http://corporate.ford.com.

Saturday, February 9, 2013

Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle Technology


THE STRATEGIC COOPERATION BETWEEN DAIMLER AND THE RENAULT-NISSAN ALLIANCE FORMS AGREEMENT WITH FORD TO ACCELERATE COMMERCIALIZATION OF FUEL CELL ELECTRIC VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY

  • Daimler AG, Ford Motor Company and Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., have signed a unique three-way agreement for the joint development of common fuel cell system to speed up availability of zero-emission technology and significantly reduce investment costs
  • Collaboration expected to lead to launch of world’s first affordable, mass-market fuel cell electric vehicles as early as 2017
  • Unique collaboration across three continents and three companies will help define global specifications and component standards
  • Sends clear signal to suppliers, policymakers and the industry to encourage the further development of hydrogen infrastructure worldwide

(L-R) Raj Nair, Group Vice President, Global Product Development, Ford Motor Company, Prof. Thomas Weber, Member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG, Group Research & Mercedes-Benz Cars Development and Mitsuhiko Yamashita, Member of the Board of Directors and Executive Vice President of Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., supervising Research and Development.
YOKOHAMA, Japan (Jan. 28, 2013)— Daimler AG, Ford Motor Company and Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., have signed a unique three-way agreement to accelerate the commercialization of fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) technology.
The goal of the collaboration is to jointly develop a common fuel cell electric vehicle system while reducing investment costs associated with the engineering of the technology. Each company will invest equally towards the project. The strategy to maximize design commonality, leverage volume and derive efficiencies through economies of scale will help to launch the world’s first affordable, mass-market FCEVs as early as 2017.
Together, Daimler, Ford and Nissan have more than 60 years of cumulative experience developing FCEVs. Their FCEVs have logged more than 10 million km in test drives around the world in customers’ hands and as part of demonstration projects in diverse conditions. The partners plan to develop a common fuel cell stack and fuel cell system that can be used by each company in the launch of highly differentiated, separately branded FCEVs, which produce no CO2 emissions while driving.
The collaboration sends a clear signal to suppliers, policymakers and the industry to encourage further development of hydrogen refueling stations and other infrastructure necessary to allow the vehicles to be mass-marketed.
Powered by electricity generated from hydrogen and oxygen, FCEVs emit only water while driving. FCEVs are considered complementary to today’s battery-electric vehicles and will help expand the range of zero-emission transportation options available to consumers.
“Fuel cell electric vehicles are the obvious next step to complement today's battery electric vehicles as our industry embraces more sustainable transportation,” said Mitsuhiko Yamashita, Member of the Board of Directors and Executive Vice President of Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., supervising Research and Development. “We look forward to a future where we can answer many customer needs by adding FCEVs on top of battery EVs within the zero-emission lineup.”
“We are convinced that fuel cell vehicles will play a central role for zero-emission mobility in the future. Thanks to the high commitment of all three partners we can put fuel cell e-mobility on a broader basis. This means with this cooperation we will make this technology available for many customers around the globe,” said Prof. Thomas Weber, Member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG, Group Research & Mercedes-Benz Cars Development.
“Working together will significantly help speed this technology to market at a more affordable cost to our customers,” said Raj Nair, group vice president, Global Product Development, Ford Motor Company. “We will all benefit from this relationship as the resulting solution will be better than any one company working alone.”
Engineering work on both the fuel cell stack and the fuel cell system will be done jointly by the three companies at several locations around the world. The partners are also studying the joint development of other FCEV components to generate even further synergies.
The unique collaboration across three continents and three companies will help define global specifications and component standards, an important prerequisite for achieving higher economies of scale.
How a fuel cell electric vehicle works
Like today’s battery-electric vehicles, FCEVs are more efficient than conventional cars and diversify energy sources beyond petroleum.
The electricity for an FCEV is produced on board the vehicle in the fuel cell stack where it is generated following an electro-chemical reaction between hydrogen – stored in a purpose-designed, high-pressure tank in the car – and oxygen from the air. The only by-products are water vapor and heat.
About the companies:
Daimler
Daimler AG is one of the world's most successful automobile companies. With its Mercedes-Benz Cars, Daimler Trucks, Mercedes-Benz Vans, Daimler Buses and Daimler Financial Services divisions, the vehicle manufacturer is one of the largest producers of premium cars and the largest globally operative manufacturer of commercial vehicles. Daimler Financial Services offers financing, leasing, fleet management, insurance and innovative mobility solutions. The company's founders, Gottlieb Daimler and Carl Benz, made history by inventing the automobile in 1886. As a pioneer of vehicle manufacturing, Daimler continues to shape the future of mobility. To this end it deploys innovative and green technologies and designs safe, high-quality vehicles which exude a very special fascination. For many years now, Daimler has been investing consistently in the development of alternative drives in pursuit of the long-term aim of zero-emission driving. Alongside hybrid vehicles, these ongoing efforts enable Daimler to offer the broadest range of battery- and fuel cell-powered local emission-free electric vehicles. Daimler is committed to championing a responsible approach in the interests of society and the environment. Daimler markets its vehicles and services in virtually every country throughout the world and has production facilities on five continents. In addition to Mercedes-Benz, the world's most valuable premium automobile brand, today's brand portfolio also includes smart, Maybach, Freightliner, Western Star, BharatBenz, Fuso, Setra, Orion and Thomas Built Buses. The company is listed on the Frankfurt and Stuttgart stock exchanges (stock exchange abbreviation DAI). Group sales totalled 2.1 million vehicles in 2011, with a workforce of more than 271,000. Revenue stood at € 106.5 billion and EBIT totalled € 8.8 billion.
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 172,000 employees and 65 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.
Nissan
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Japan's second-largest automotive company, is headquartered in Yokohama, Japan, and is part of the Renault-Nissan Alliance. Operating with more than 248,000 employees globally, Nissan provided customers with more than 4.8 million vehicles in 2011, generating revenue of 9.4 trillion yen ($118.95 billion U.S.). With a strong commitment to developing exciting and innovative products for all, Nissan delivers a comprehensive range of 64 models under the Nissan and Infiniti brands. A pioneer in zero-emission mobility, Nissan made history with the introduction of Nissan LEAF, the first affordable, mass-market, pure-electric vehicle and winner of numerous international accolades, including the prestigious 2011-2012 Car of the Year Japan and 2011 World Car of the Year awards.Visit www.nissan-global.com/EN/ for more about Nissan’s products, services and commitment to sustainable mobility.

Saturday, February 2, 2013

Fusion Hybrid Closes in on Another Sales Record


Ford Achieves All-Time High Hybrid Share and Toyota Slides, as Fusion Hybrid Closes in on Another Sales Record

  • Ford hybrid market share jumped nearly 9 percentage points from December 2011 to December 2012; Toyota’s share of the hybrid vehicle segment dropped 8 points
  • Ford Fusion Hybrid achieved all-time monthly sales record in December 2012 with 3,244 sales; Ford hybrids expected to deliver best January hybrid sales month ever with a projected 5,500 units sold
  • More stylish and technology-laden Fusion Hybrid attracting younger buyers compared to the outgoing model and Toyota Camry Hybrid
  • Nearly 70 percent of Fusion Hybrid sales are conquest sales, compared to 53 percent for Camry Hybrid
DEARBORN, Mich., Jan. 30, 2013 – The 2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid is off to a fast start after achieving an all-time sales record in December 2012, helping Ford to record hybrid sales and market share, as Toyota lost nearly 8 points of share in the segment.
Ford’s launch of the new C-MAX hybrids and Fusion Hybrid this past fall led the company to deliver record-setting hybrid sales in December, resulting in a 9 percent market share gain to 16 percent. In the same period Toyota’s share of the hybrid vehicle segment fell 8 points, from 68 percent to 60 percent.
Ford sold more hybrids in the fourth quarter of 2012 than in any other three-month period in the company’s entire history with 19,554 units sold, besting its own previous hybrid vehicle sales record by more than 193 percent.
An all-time record of 3,244 Fusion Hybrids were sold in December, compared to the previous mark of 3,010 in August 2010. The car is expected to achieve record January sales when results are announced Feb. 4. Nearly 70 percent of new Fusion Hybrid owners are new to the Ford brand, while Toyota’s conquest rate for its Camry Hybrid is only 53 percent.
“We’re bringing new hybrid buyers into the market, many of whom wouldn’t be considered traditional hybrid buyers,” said Amy Marentic, marketing manager, Global Small and Medium Cars. “There’s a sense hybrid buyers represent a pragmatic or green ethic. Fusion Hybrid is scoring with these audiences, but the car also puts some excitement into the segment through design; it shows hybrids can have beautiful and sophisticated styling. This, in turn, means different buyers.”
Not only are most buyers new to the Ford brand, early data suggest Fusion Hybrid is appealing to younger buyers outside the traditional hybrid vehicle demographic.
Ford reports new Fusion Hybrid buyers are five years younger than buyers of the previous Fusion Hybrid, dropping to 48 years old from an average of 53 years old. 2012 model year Toyota Camry Hybrid buyers have an average age of 54, according to J.D. Power and Associates PIN data. Moreover, 22 percent of Fusion buyers are under the age of 35; only 13 percent of Camry Hybrid buyers are.
Not surprisingly, Fusion Hybrid’s best-selling markets are San Francisco, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., but Ford reports stronger sales in the more traditional buying areas of the Central, Southeast and Great Lakes regions – areas not known for strong hybrid sales. In these areas, retail sales more than tripled in December compared to the previous year.
Fusion Hybrid continues to have the fastest turnover rate (the number of days cars sit on dealer lots waiting to be sold) of any vehicle in the Ford lineup. Fusion Hybrid turns over in just 10 days on average.
Press releases, videos, photos and other material related to Ford’s electrified vehicles can be found here.
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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 171,000 employees and 65 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.