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Ford updates Transit lineup for 2016

We have a strange affection for vans here at Autoblog, perhaps due to all that free candy we ate as kids. So when Ford announces some minor updates to the Transit and Transit Connect, we deliver the news that every plumber, electrician, and airport shuttle driver across the nation (and Canada) needs. The biggest item for 2016 is an optional passenger side sliding door on medium- and high-roof models, improving access to the Transit's cavernous interior. Ford's rollout of the much-improved Sync 3 infotainment system also expands to the to large van. And a reverse backup camera is now standard across the lineup. The little Ford Transit Connect is also tweaked for the next model year, right after we spent some time in the 2015 version. Titanium trim on the long-wheelbase wagon model brings second row bucket seats that fold flat. With XLT trim, you can swap out a bench seat for the buckets at no extra charge. Read on the for the full press release. FORD TRANSIT, TRANSIT CONNECT AND TRANSIT CONNECT WAGON EVEN SMARTER, MORE FLEXIBLE FOR 2016 MODEL YEAR SYNC® 3, Ford's new communications and entertainment system, is available for 2016 Ford Transit – making America's best-selling van even smarter Ford Transit built more than 100,000 vehicles in the 2015 model year Ford Transit Connect compact commercial van equipped with 2.5-liter I-4 engine gains flex-fuel capability for 2016 DEARBORN, Mich., June 4, 2015 – America's best-selling van is even better for the 2016 model year, with the addition of available SYNC 3, rearview camera technology and new customization options. "These and other updates make the 2016 Ford Transit the smartest, most flexible van ever offered by Ford," says Yaro Hetman, Ford brand manager for Transit, Transit Connect and E-Series. "Transit replaces America's best-selling van for 35 years, E-Series, first sold in 1961 as Ford Econoline, and we look forward to continuing our leadership in this important segment." Transit quickly took over the best-selling commercial van title in November 2014, having been available beginning in June at U.S. and Canadian dealerships for the first time. Ford has produced more than 100,000 Transit vans and wagons at Kansas City Assembly Plant during the 2015 model year.

Watch a drone try to land in back of a moving 2015 Ford F-150 at night

Automotive stunts don't always have to make sense; they just have to look cool. Does it really prove anything about the bed lighting in the 2015 Ford F-150 to attempt to land a drone back there while driving at night? Probably not, but Ford Canada wants to find out anyway, because the trick looks good on film. Chris Bacik is an expert at flying drones and even builds his own to use for his aerial cinematography company. As Ford Canada's very serious narrator intones, the question now is whether he can use those piloting skills to land on a moving F-150 in the dark. To make things even harder, the night of the stunt is quite windy. Even if the video demonstrates little about the truck's capabilities, it's fun to see if Bacik can do accomplish the feat. Related Video:

Ford dinged by OSHA for asbestos at Buffalo plant

Ford has come under fire from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for violations regarding asbestos exposure in a company metal stamping plant in Buffalo, NY. OSHA has cited Ford for eight violations in total, according to an Automotive News report, and faces fines of up to $41,800. 537 workers are employed at the stamping facility.
The violations include a pipefitter at the facility being exposed to asbestos-containing material while working on a steam line, other workers exposed to the material without respiratory protection and work areas that were not designed to limited the number of workers in contact with asbestos. Further, areas in which asbestos was present were not properly restricted, and levels of asbestos in the air were not monitored.
According to an unnamed Ford spokesperson in the AN report, the company feels that the OSHA citation is erroneous saying, "We have fully cooperated with the local OSHA officials and we don't believe the citations are warranted." Ford also maintains that it will work with the authorities to resolve the issue.