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Recharge Wrap-up: California breaks ground on high-speed rail, Ford launches global mobility experiments

California has celebrated the groundbreaking of the country's first high-speed rail system. The ceremony took place in Fresno, in the San Joaquin Valley, situated along the line's initial route through California's Central Valley. The train will travel at speeds of up to 220 miles per hour, delivering passengers from San Francisco to LA in less than three hours when finished by 2029. California eventually plans to extend high-speed rail service north to Sacramento and south to San Diego, with a total of 24 stations. The project is expected to cost a total of $68 billion, but could potentially ease road and air traffic, as well as the pollution that comes with it. See the groundbreaking ceremony in the video below, and read more at Engadget or the California High-Speed Rail Authority website. Elon Musk (barely) commented on the Tesla Model 3 during his Reddit AMA. A commenter asked for any new information on the upcoming electric sedan, to which Musk merely replied, "It won't look like other cars." Unfortunately for Tesla fans, the lone comment was the only reference to the electric automaker Musk leads as CEO. The event was full of some really cool space talk, though. Musk also noted he gets an average of six hours of sleep per night, and that showering is the daily habit that impacts his life the most positively. Read the entire AMA at Reddit. Ford outlined its Smart Mobility Plan at the 2015 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. It includes 25 global mobility experiments designed to provide insights into the future of transportation needs around the world. "We see a world where vehicles talk to one another, drivers and vehicles communicate with the city infrastructure to relieve congestion, and people routinely share vehicles or multiple forms of transportation for their daily commute," says Ford President and CEO Mark Fields. The mobility experiments include carsharing programs in Michigan, London, Germany and India, a fast-charging infrastructure experiment, a shuttle service in New York and London and even a cycling focused data program in Palo Alto. Read more at Ford's website. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. "Our priority is not in making marketing claims or being in a race for the first autonomous car on the road," Fields said. "Our priority is in making the first Ford autonomous vehicle accessible to the masses and truly enhancing customers' lives.

Why Edmunds took a sledgehammer to its 2015 Ford F-150

The discussion around repair bills for the aluminum-bodied 2015 Ford F-150 pickup continued from the beginning of last year to the end, and haven't abated; as an aside, some Tesla Model S owners have been shocked at disquieting repair estimates for minor damage to their aluminum wunder-sedans. Edmunds decided to inject some fact into the fray: it bought a $52,000 long-term 2015 F-150 and clouted it with an eight-pound sledgehammer. Twice. The rear of the bedside took the impacts since it couldn't be replaced, it would have to be repaired. To the pickup's credit, the only reason associate editor Travis Langness hit it twice was that the first sledgehammer blow didn't do as much damage as Edmunds wanted. After the second, the visible damage included the two direct impacts, a few creases, and a cracked taillight, so they drove the pickup to Santa Monica Ford to get an estimate, complete with a fictitious story about how the damage occurred and the mercy plea that Langness was paying for the repair out-of-pocket. In Part 2 Langness hits on some of the details with getting the truck fixed, such as the massively expensive taillight and the list of tools Ford recommends dealers have to work on aluminum. But he was promised he'd have his truck back in seven days, and Santa Monica Ford got it back to him in seven days. In Part 3 we get the bill. It's not small, but it's quite a bit less than it could have been if the service manager had charged Edmunds the official labor rate for aluminum. We're not going to spoil it here, so check out the videos above and below for the beginning and the end, and head over to Edmunds for the complete story about how it all happened and some riffing on the repair numbers. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Related Video:

Ford upgrade kit takes Focus ST to 275 hp and 296 lb-ft

If you drive a 2015 Ford Focus ST but are already jealous of the 345-horsepower 2016 Focus RS that's on the horizon, Ford Performance has a new upgrade kit that could be a great compromise. Developed by the Blue Oval experts at Mountune, the MP275 setup takes the hot hatch's output to 275 hp and 296 pound-feet of torque when running on 93-octane fuel. Those are gains of 23 hp and 26 lb-ft, respectively. Providing much of the kit's extra oomph is a recalibrated ECU with more aggressive engine mapping. The company claims that the upgrade also improves throttle response, and it keeps the Focus ST 50-state emissions legal. In addition, customers get a Mountune high-flow intercooler, a new air intake, and all of the necessary hardware to mount the components in the engine bay. For those concerned about reliability, when an authorized Ford Performance technician installs the parts, the Focus maintains the factory warranty. The MP275 kit currently retails for $1,900 on the Ford Performance website. For added protection during harsh weather, customers can also get an end cap for the cone air filter for $15. Related Video: Ford Performance Upgrade Kit for 2015 Focus ST Boosts Output to 275 Horsepower, 296 Lb.-Ft. Torque • Ford Performance mountune Focus ST kit for 2015 optimizes performance without sacrificing reliability • Sold through Ford Performance Parts, the kit maintains the base car's factory-backed three-year/36,000-mile warranty • Package adds 23 horsepower and 26 lb.-ft. of torque DEARBORN, Mich., Aug. 18, 2015 – Focus ST customers can get more performance out of their vehicle thanks to a new kit from Ford. And on that front, the new Focus ST mountune upgrade kit delivers in spades. The idea of a street-legal, reliable, largely stock 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine making nearly 300 lb.-ft. of torque might have seemed ludicrous 10 years ago, but the components of the MP275 Focus ST performance upgrade not only combine to produce up to 296 lb.-ft. of torque with 93-octane fuel, they are designed for maximum reliability as well. "The 2015 Focus ST MP275 upgrade is the latest addition to Ford Performance's vast Focus and Fiesta performance catalog that gives enthusiasts the components they need to take their car to the next level," said Adam Gair, product manager, Ford Performance.