2011 Ford F-450 4x4 Dump With Snow Plow on 2040-cars

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Livestream: Ricardo Innovation & Sustainability Symposium 2015

Making decisions on how to invest billions of dollars in future technology is scary even if you're developing something as simple as a smartphone. But when you've got to invest that money in something as complex as a car – one that might drive itself, or operate just on electricity, or even possibly be crash-proof – that task becomes daunting. Today, at 9:00AM, a slate of auto industry leaders are gathering at automotive supplier Ricardo to celebrate the company's 100-year anniversary by looking toward the future. Moderated by Autoblog Editor-in-Chief Sharon Carty, the panel will talk about Ford's vision for the future, look at battery development, environmental issues, and may even debate the future of flying cars. Maybe. If you're interested in following along, take a look at the livestream. Government/Legal Green Ford Technology Emerging Technologies Videos ricardo Sakti3

Is this the 2017 Ford F-250 and its all-new aluminum body?

We don't have much to go on, but our friends at Jalopnik have uncovered a completely undoctored photo (used with permission) of what appears to be the 2017 Ford F-250 Super Duty. There's no indication of what's under the boxy new sheetmetal – our bet, like that of Jalopnik, is that the 6.2-liter gasoline-powered V8 will join the latest torque-monster of a 6.7-liter PowerStroke V8 – but we're still left with lots of time to work out the details. For now, we see the same kind of upright and in-your-face styling that we've come to expect from the Ford Super Duty, including more chrome than a '60s Cadillac up front and huge headlight clusters that cut deeply into the side bodywork. We also note plenty of glass making up the large greenhouse, which should be a boon for visibility. Of course, the big news is the actual metal that the body is stamped from. We're expecting to see lots of aluminum, with the heavy-duty pickup following the smaller, lighter-duty F-150 into the lightweight realm for increased fuel savings and greater pulling and hauling capabilities. Stay tuned for more. Related Video: News Source: JalopnikImage Credit: Jalopnik Ford Truck Future Vehicles Off-Road Vehicles ford f-250 autoblog black

How the 2015 Ford Mustang will save your knees

The 2015 Mustang is one of the most hotly anticipated vehicles of the moment, and Ford continues to leak out interesting little details about its newest pony car. The latest info doesn't have anything to do with its quarter-mile time or handling, but if any of that goes drastically wrong, the innovative new glovebox-mounted airbag may prevent passengers from knee injuries.
All variants of the 2015 Mustang get the active knee airbag as standard, and it's the first vehicle in Ford's lineup to receive the system. The setup is actually quite simple and ingenious. The glovebox is made from a plastic outer panel that is attached to the inner door. Sandwiched between them is this new injection-molded plastic bladder that folds flat when in use. If the passenger-side airbag deploys, the system springs into action to act as a cushion for your knees. Compared to a traditional knee airbag that has to fully inflate, this arrangement is 65 percent lighter and can use a 75 percent smaller inflator. It's also basically invisible when you look at the glovebox door.
Ford spokesperson Ed Saenz declined to tell Autoblog whether the system will appear in other vehicles in the Blue Oval's lineup but said, "We're considering other applications." Provided it's effective, the approach seems too simple not to make its way to other products. Scroll down to watch a video showing how the glovebox-mounted knee airbag works.