Industry News
Ford Sync: MyFord Mobile Advanced Integrating Automotive and Wireless Industry
Posted on March 14, 2011
Ford might be a year or two late to the game with electric vehicles, but it has been changing the industry with the Ford Focus Electric and Ford Sync technology.
The car is a cute, sharp-looking version of the Focus compact, with a full slate of interior features, a range of 100 miles and an MPGe rating that compares favorably with the Chevy Volt and Nissan Leaf. And there's one feature that's definitely aimed at keeping up with the Chevy Volt and Nissan Leaf…that's the MyFord smartphone integration.
The car already features an 8-inch touch screen on the center of the dashboard to keep the driver apprised of various information and statuses. Not satisfied with that, though, Ford offers an interface with your smartphone that gives you a handle on the car's charging status, climate settings and other information. It also provides "feedback" on your driving habits – the more you light-foot the throttle, the more bunnies and butterflies there are frolicking through a field on your phone's screen. No word on what happens to the bunnies and butterflies if you hot-rod the car.
Here are a few more Ford Sync connectivity features:
- Voice-activated command and control of mobile phones and digital music players
- 911 Assist
- Vehicle Health report
- Traffic, Directions and Information Services
- Turn-by-turn navigation
- Traffic, weather and sports
- Business searches
- Stock quotes
- Horoscopes
- Movie listings
- irline, hotel chain and rental car
- "Send to SYNC" through MapQuest and GoogleMaps
- SYNC Destinations smartphone mobile app
Considering the target market of the Focus Electric, this clearly is a pretty smart move. However, It will be interesting to see what ramifications this will have on both the automotive and wireless industries.
