Living the Electric Lifestyle

To help drivers make the transition to EVs, and get the most out of their EVs, we are offering more than just the vehicle. We are delivering a total electric vehicle lifestyle. In the U.S., for example, our EVs have advanced in-vehicle communications that help drivers maximize the efficiency and range of their vehicles, find charging stations along their planned routes, and know exactly how far they can go until the next charge based on their own driving style. We have also enabled drivers to link their smartphones to our vehicles so that they can control charging and other in-vehicle operations remotely. We have also developed a comprehensive approach to vehicle charging that makes charging fast, easy, affordable and environmentally friendly. Our goal is to deliver electric vehicles that are as engaging, easy to use and empowering as other forms of consumer electronics like smartphones. Our “Plug Into Ford” website provides customers with an in-depth look at how to make the most of the electric vehicle lifestyle.

Enhanced In-Vehicle Information with MyFord Touch

In several regions, including the U.S., our electric vehicles will ultimately include an enhanced version of MyFord Touch – Ford’s driver interface technology – that will give drivers information tools to help them maximize their driving range, plan the most eco-friendly route and manage the battery recharge process. For example, the system will provide vehicle data such as the electrical demands of vehicle accessories – including air conditioning, which influences the electric driving range. The system will also provide information on the battery’s state of charge, distance to charge points, “energy budget” and expected range surplus.

We designed the Focus Electric to provide more range at full charge than most Americans will use each day. But we know that, at least initially, “range anxiety” will be an important issue for consumers. So we have designed in-vehicle communications to make on-board energy management a rewarding and fun part of the ownership experience. For example, the vehicle can analyze individual driving styles, as well as climate control and other options, to provide tailored information about range and remaining charge. Drivers who drive slowly and smoothly will get a longer range out of their car than those who drive more aggressively. But our in-vehicle information systems can adapt to any way you choose to drive. The Focus Electric will continuously analyze a driver’s style, recalculate range and distance to required charge, and show how driving behavior affects the vehicle’s energy budget. To provide the driver with realistic driving range information, the vehicle “recognizes” drivers by their key fobs and automatically adjusts to maximize range based on what it has learned about that driver’s driving style. The system can also coach drivers on how to drive more efficiently to maximize their electric driving range.

The system also includes a trip planner feature to help drivers plan their trip based on the available battery range and the location of charging stations. The trip planning system integrates information about driving style and the driving efficiency “coach” to help drivers go farther on their remaining charge by maximizing regenerative braking, turning down the air conditioning or other efficient driving actions.

The Focus Electric’s in-vehicle information is also customizable. For example, information can be viewed in three different modes: Energy Budget, which shows the remaining charge; Range, which shows the distance to the next required charge point; and Surplus View, which shows drivers how much energy or range they are saving using different options and by driving efficiently. The system also uses a variety of simple graphics like an energy “budget cup” and surplus energy “butterflies” that make it easy for drivers to quickly interpret information.

Remote Control with MyFord Mobile™

Drivers in the U.S. and Canada will also be able to manage their Focus Electric remotely using the Ford-developed MyFord Mobile app. MyFord Mobile allows drivers to locate the vehicle with GPS, remotely start the vehicle and remotely lock and unlock the car doors using their smartphone. On our battery electric vehicles, the MyFord Mobile app provides a suite of additional remote communications. For example, working with MapQuest, MyFord Mobile can find the location of a charge station on the driver’s smartphone and send that location to the Focus Electric using the Traffic, Directions and Information program in the Ford SYNC system. Drivers can also get instant vehicle status information, monitor the car’s state of charge and current range, get alerts when it requires charging, remotely program charge settings and review vehicle data for analysis from their smartphone or the MyFord Mobile website. The remote vehicle monitoring and management features of MyFord Mobile were honored with the Innovation Design and Engineering Award at the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show.

The MyFord Mobile app

The MyFord Mobile app also allows drivers to tell their vehicle to use electricity from the grid to heat or cool the battery and cabin while the vehicle is still plugged in. This “preconditioning” of the vehicle’s temperature is a key strategy drivers can use to maximize their driving range.

MyFord Mobile for EVs also adds a social element. Drivers can compare their driving efficiency to that of friends and other EV drivers through seamless connections to popular social platforms like Facebook and Twitter. In addition, the system gives drivers virtual awards and badges for improvements in driving efficiency.

All of the vehicle’s screens and control panels are integrated into the MyFord Mobile app’s smartphone display, so that drivers can move seamlessly from their car to their phone displays.

Find out more by watching the MyFord Mobile features video demonstration.

Fast, Flexible and Easy Charging

Charging is one of the most important changes drivers have to get used to with a BEV or PHEV. We have gone to great lengths to make our charging systems fast, easy and economical.

The Focus Electric uses a 6.6 kW charger, which enables a best-in-class at-home charge time of four hours when using a 240V charge station installed in the customer’s garage. That’s half the time it takes our competitors’ BEVs with comparably sized batteries to charge up. This allows drivers to get more range out of “quick stop” charging during the course of their driving day. Our vehicles can get approximately 30 miles of range per “charge hour” compared to 15 miles per charge hours for competitors’ electric vehicles.

U.S. drivers can also customize their charging preferences. Drivers can choose the times when their car must be charged up and ready to go and set up a charging schedule that dictates when the charging starts and stops to meet those needs. They can also control vehicle charging using Value Charging by Microsoft, a system that communicates with local utilities and sets up charging times based on when utility rates are lowest in their area. Customers can reduce their electricity costs by taking advantage of off-peak or other reduced utility rates without a complicated setup process. With this technology, customers will be able to “set it and forget it,” knowing their vehicle will only charge when utility rates are at their lowest. Ford electric vehicles are the first to work with this Microsoft system. Because Ford’s EVs charge in half the time of competitors’ BEVs with comparably sized batteries, we make it easier to get a complete charge within the time periods of the lowest utility rates.

We are also making charging easier with an easy-to-read “light ring” around the charge port. When the plug is connected, the light loops around the port twice. The light ring then illuminates in quadrants as the vehicle charges. Flashing quadrants signify that the charge is in progress. When the ring is solidly lit, the vehicle is fully charged. Drivers can also find out their vehicle’s state of charge by pressing a button on their key fob; in response, the light ring indicates the amount of charge by lighting the appropriate number of segments of the “light ring.”

We put a lot of thought into the actual charging station into which drivers will plug their vehicles. We are currently the only auto manufacturer to offer a “plug-and-play” charging system that is easy to install and portable, so you can take it with you if you move or move it to a new location in your existing garage. In the U.S., we worked with Leviton to develop a simple, ergonomic, easy-to-use charge station and with Best Buy to provide Best Buy/Geek Squad installation services. Best Buy will help facilitate the process of owning an electric vehicle by evaluating homes, working with electricians on permitting issues and installing the units. The charging station standard installation will cost $1,499, including the charge station, garage site survey and permits – 30 percent less than competing systems. Customers need only to call Best Buy’s dedicated 1-888 number (1-888-219-6747) to set up a Geek Squad garage site survey. The Geek Squad agent will also guide the customer through the installation process.