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Ford, Samsung shack up to bring regen braking to non-hybrid models [w/video]

Ford must be desperate to get itself ready for the beach this summer because it is really trying to get into shape. Shortly after unveiling the Lightweight Concept that cut the weight of a Fusion down to that of a Fiesta, it's now the rest of the line's turn for improvement. The company is wrapping up a 10-year research project aimed at developing next-gen automotive batteries to improve efficiency.
Ford claims that 70 percent of its lineup will have stop/start tech by 2017. The key to this massive proliferation is its new dual-battery system that combines a lithium-ion battery with a lead-acid one and regenerative braking. The setup works by harvesting braking energy and converting it to electricity. When the vehicle stops, the engine shuts off, but the Li-ion battery has enough juice to keep the accessories running. The engine starts up again as drivers take their foot off the brake. The layout would mean less wasted gas while idling. It's already available on Ford hybrids and is somewhat similar to the i-Eloop capacitor-based system from Mazda.
The bigger challenge is tuning the regenerative braking right. While hybrid drivers may be a little more adventurous, when it comes to getting a hang of regen braking, conventional buyers might not be so open-minded. The systems have a tendency to be a little grabby at first and then taper off at very low speeds. Ford needs to make sure it's just right to avoid turning off buyers.

Drive Ford's new Mustang in Need For Speed Rivals

If waiting for the all-new 2015 Ford Mustang to hit dealerships is just too tall of an order, you'll be happy to hear that there is now an alternative means of getting behind the wheel of America's favorite pony car. The Mustang is making its video game debut in Need For Speed Rivals.
"We worked closely with the development team at EA to provide them with engineering data for the new Mustang, several months before we showed it to the rest of the world," said Ford product licensing manager Mark Bentley. "Computer design models enabled the game developers to create an accurate representation of the new Mustang before it goes on sale."
Players will have access to five unique designs for the Mustang, allowing a degree of individuality beyond solid colors and decals. According to Digital Marketing Manager Andrea Zuehlk of Ford, those designs are drawn from the four most popular designs on the Mustang Customizer, an online, mobile and tablet app that allows the public to design their own custom Mustang. A fifth design, penned by drift racer Vaughn Gittin, Jr., is also available.

How Ford hid the 2015 Mustang from spy photographers

Now that we've finally seen the 2015 Ford Mustang, it's fun to go back and look at the spy shots we spent months pouring over, trying to dissect what was under all the camouflage. For the most part, Ford did a good job of concealing the car from spy photographers, and it released a video showing how much work went into doing so.
As crude as the Mustang's camo looked, all of the hard plastic, foam, vinyl and ratchet straps were actually created and put in place by a specific design team. The whole idea was to hide the car's identity, but it certainly ended up acting as a magnet for attention, too. According to Ford's press release, it took less than an hour for spy shots to appear online after the car was taken on public roads for the very first time - this is likely in reference to our first official spy shots of the Mustang from June, shown in the gallery below.
Scroll down for a press release and video, which shows footage of the 2015 Ford Mustang testing with minimal camouflage. This is probably the same track session where we got our first look at the Mustang's face back in August.