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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.

2016 Ford F-150 gets sporty new sport mode for added sportiness

Good news, everyone! The Ford F-150 fullsize pickup truck is getting a new sport mode for 2016. Because it needs it, or something. "Crazy-smart Ford engineers have struck again – this time blending the sport mode feature borrowed from the all-new Mustang with the reduced weight of the all-new F-150 to deliver an engaged, dynamic driving experience with any of the four high-output, fuel-efficient powertrains available to truck customers," Ford says in its press release. In fact, the Mustang tie-in comes up a few other times. "An advanced feature of F-150's six-speed automatic transmission is its ability to match engine rpm as it downshifts in slowing for a corner. Electronics calibration for this feature comes straight out of Mustang." That's right, folks. A two-ton truck with rev-match downshifts. The F-150's sport mode holds the transmission in the powerband, limiting upshifts during more spirited driving. "It makes Mustang come alive, and we feel it does the same thing in F-150," says one Ford engineer. Sport mode is activated by pushing the tow/haul button twice, at which time an amber "S" illuminates in the dash. We're hoping this also means that pushing the sport button in a Mustang will activate tow/haul mode. Sport mode is standard on all 2016 F-150s, and can be used with two- or four-wheel drive. More details are available in the release, below. Related Video: F-150 PERFORMANCE ENHANCED BY NEW SPORT MODE - 2015 Ford F-150's 700-pound weight savings, its choice of four high-output, more fuel-efficient powertrains, and – for the first time ever – an on-demand sport mode combine to enable an improved driving experience for truck customers - Six-speed automatic transmission with sport mode is standard across F-150 lineup; system operates in two-wheel drive, four-wheel-drive automatic and four-wheel-drive high settings - Automatic transmission technology used for both Mustang and F-150 was jointly created – allowing some performance advantages of the pony car to be applied to the pickup truck for a more responsive driving experience DEARBORN, Mich., Aug. 5, 2015 – Crazy-smart Ford engineers have struck again – this time blending the sport mode feature borrowed from the all-new Mustang with the reduced weight of the all-new F-150 to deliver an engaged, dynamic driving experience with any of the four high-output, fuel-efficient powertrains available to truck customers.

Ford Mustang GT350 drops some camo

Now that we've poured over the 2015 Ford Mustang in its standard form, it's time to look ahead. We already knew (and heard - literally) that Ford was working on a higher-performance version of its 'Stang to replace the Shelby GT500, and earlier reports have stated that it will simply be called the GT350.
We don't have a ton of detail to go on, but this latest set of spy photos clearly shows a hood-mounted air scoop, which suggests a forced-induction powerplant is under the hood. However, this disagrees with earlier reports that the GT350 will be all motor, using a naturally aspirated engine to send massive horsepower to the rear wheels. Our spies also point out the functional vent aft of the front wheels to allow for better airflow, and the massive quad exhaust pipes can be seen, clear as day.
Expect to see the Mustang GT350 in April, when it debuts at the New York Auto Show in conjunction with the Pony's 50th anniversary. In the meantime, have a look at our gallery above to see the latest shots of the hot Mustang out testing.