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Ford starts GoDrive carsharing service in London

Automaker-supported carsharing services like BMW's DriveNow and Daimler's Car2Go are already well established in many cities around the world. Ford is no stranger to this business, either, with collaborations with companies like ZipCar in the US and Flinkster in Germany. Now, The Blue Oval is taking a new step by establishing its own dedicated offering in London called GoDrive. The operation is actually the expansion of an earlier 100-person pilot program and allows the automaker to test out ideas on a small scale. GoDrive is now growing to support 2,000 people in London, and they can share 50 vehicles that are scattered around 20 locations in the city. The fleet is split between Focus Electric models and Fiesta 1.0 EcoBoosts. One of the major selling points for the service is that users can take one-way trips through the city and have a guaranteed parking spot at their destination. Like any high-tech service today, much of the user interface for GoDrive works through a smartphone app that allows users to book cars and pay for trips. The driving is covered under an all-inclusive, pay-by-the-minute model, which includes London's congestion charge, and the first five minutes are free. To entice new users, the company is currently offering a free membership and 20 pounds ($31) in credit to sign up. GoDrive's small size also lets it gather and adjust to customer feedback quickly. For example, users reportedly enjoy getting to try out a vehicle with the latest infotainment and safety features. The company is already working on different pricing plans and parking options for the future, as well. The video below shows a little more the service in action. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. FORD BRINGS DYNAMIC CAR-SHARING EXPERIMENT TO LONDON; FIRST SERVICE TO OFFER ONE-WAY TRIPS WITH GUARANTEED PARKING Ford will offer Londoners flexible, practical, and affordable GoDrive car-sharing service; invites 2,000 members to register free for service that offers 50 cars across 20 locations GoDrive is unique in offering one-way trips with guaranteed parking. Pay-as-you-go approach with pay-per-minute pricing covers all fees. Drivers book and access cars via smartphone app Zero-emission Focus Electric makes up half of the GoDrive fleet; fuel-efficient Fiesta 1.0-litre EcoBoost available.

Total auto recalls already on record pace in 2014

If you've noticed that there have been more recalls than usual this year, you may be on to something. According to a report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the US market is on pace to break a record for recalls. In 2013, 22 million cars were recalled. We're only a third of the way through 2014, though, and we've already halved that figure, with 11 million units recalled. That's wild.
Considering the past few months, it shouldn't be a surprise that General Motors is leading the charge, with six million of the 11 million units recalled coming from one of the General's four brands. Between truck recalls, CUV recalls and the ignition switch recall, 2014 hasn't been a great year for GM.
Other recall leaders include Nissan (one million Sentra and Altima sedans), Honda (900,000 Odyssey minivans), Toyota (over one million units in a few recalls), Volkswagen (150,000 Passat sedans), Chrysler (644,000 Dodge Durango and Jeep Grand Cherokee SUVs) and most recently, Ford (434,000 units, the bulk of which were early Ford Escape CUVs). So while it's been a bad year for GM so far, its competitors aren't doing too well, either.

Ford GT gets sexy shape and EcoBoost power [w/videos]

American automakers make vehicles of all shapes and sizes, but the one thing they almost invariably share in common is their front-engine layout. Niche offerings from the likes of SSC, Saleen and Vector (and the almost anecdotal Pontiac Fiero) aside, the most notable exception has been the Ford GT. And now it's back. Launched on the floor of the 2015 Detroit Auto Show, the new Ford GT picks up where the last one left off the better part of a decade ago – similarly taking its cues from the original, Le Mans-winning GT40, but in a less retro, more modern form. Instead of the atmospheric V8 in the original or the supercharged one in the retro revival, the new GT packs a 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 nestled in the middle of its wheelbase and driving "more than 600 horsepower" to the rear wheels. Although Ford hasn't revealed the specific output or performance figures, it says the engine – derived from its Daytona Prototype unit and mated to a seven-speed DCT – is its most powerful production EcoBoost ever. Fortunately it's got carbon-ceramic brakes to keep it all in check, packed into 20-inch wheels wearing Michelin Pilot Super Sport Cup 2 rubber. The discs aren't all that's made from carbon on the new Ford GT, though: it's built around a carbon monocoque with structural carbon-fiber body panels, but with aluminum sub-frames front and back. Ford designed the new GT with a narrower canopy than its predecessors, cutting the frontal aerodynamic profile and tapering towards the back. It's also equipped with active aero elements including an active rear wing. Upwards swinging doors ought to make ingress and egress easier to and from the cockpit that's fitted with fixed seats, adjustable pedals and F1-style steering wheel and a fully digital instrument cluster. The new GT is set to enter production next year to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the GT40's famous 1-2-3 finish at the 1966 running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. By the time it does, we're sure Ford will let us know just how fast America's newest supercar will be.