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Ford and Lincoln owners can personalize their Alexa commands

Ford and Lincoln owners whose vehicles have hands-free access to Alexa don't have to stick to using standard voice commands if they don't want to. The automaker has rolled out enhanced Car Control capabilities, and with it comes the option to teach Alexa commands that reflect their natural way of speaking. For example, they can program in "Alexa, I'm cold," and then teach the voice assistant to respond by asking what course of action it should take, such as "I can increase the temperature by 5 degrees or turn off the AC. What should I do?" Another example of a personalized phrase would be: "Alexa, set the AC to full blast." The assistant can then ask the owner what they mean by "full blast." Training Alexa to respond to personalized phrases is made possible by the assistant's teachable AI technology. All vehicles with Alexa Built-in will get access to enhanced Car Control when it becomes available to them. At the moment, the models with access to the hands-free experience are the 2022 F-150, Bronco, Mustang Mach-E, Edge, the new Expedition, Lincoln Nautilus and revised 2022 Lincoln Navigator. The long-awaited 2022 F-150 Lightning will also come with the capability when it launches. Ford debuted the hands-free Alexa capability for its vehicles last year, marking the beginning of its six-year partnership with Amazon. As part of that partnership, it's giving its customers complimentary access to Alexa for up to three years that begin on the new vehicle's warranty start date. Ford Lincoln Technology Infotainment

Ford opens 88 new dealerships in China in a single day

"Ford opened 88 dealerships in China last year." "Ford opened 88 dealerships in China during the first half of 2014." "Ford opened 88 dealerships in China last month." None of those statements - even the last one - would seem unbelievable. Saying "Ford opened up 88 dealerships in China last Thursday," though, is a bit more dramatic.
Yes, on June 19 alone, Ford opened the doors on nearly 100 showrooms in the People's Republic, boosting the Blue Oval's total presence in the country to 750 dealerships. Of course, while an overabundance of dealers in the US proved troublesome for American manufacturers back in 2008 and 2009, there's no such concern in China. Considering the country's huge population and the breakneck pace of the local auto industry, you could be forgiven for being surprised Ford only has 750 outlets at this stage.
What's notable about this most recent push, besides the sheer volume of new stores, is their location. Over three-quarters of the new dealerships are in so-called Tier 4 cities, which are smaller towns that still contain millions of people. This fits with Ford's strategy in China of avoiding the bigger battlegrounds that are already dominated by competitors and focusing on setting up shop in newer markets that may have been overlooked, according to Automotive News.

Plug In 2014: ALTe ready to join Ford's EQVM to convert, sell F-150 PHEV [w/video]

It's been a while since we've checked in with ALTe and its plans to convert big work vehicles like the Ford F-150 into plug-in hybrids. So, when we saw a demonstration vehicle sitting outside the San Jose Convention Center at the Plug In 2014 Conference last week, we had to get a closer look. When we did, we realized that it's been quite some time since we've been in a Ride & Drive vehicle that was all beat to heck. It's been quite some time since we've been in a Ride & Drive vehicle that was all beat to heck. The reason for the well-worn F-150 with 30,000 miles on it is that ALTe has been showing off its extended-range EV technology to lots of people all around the country, and Kyle Maki has been the man on the scene more often than not. "This one, I've taken all over the country," he told AutoblogGreen. "I've wore out that seat, I think. The only reason this one wasn't driven here was because we were in Charlotte [NC] last week and I didn't want to take a chance and not make it in time for this event." In other words, ALTe is out there, ginning up excitement for the idea of a plug-in hybrid Ford with an electric range of up to 40 miles and which can then continue on gas for another 360 miles at around about 25 miles per gallon. ALTe wants to not only convert new vehicles but it also offers retrofits for fleets that are happy with their current fleet. The company offers converted versions of the Ford E350 and E450 utility vehicles now but the near-mythical F-150 PHEV is still "coming soon." Yes, orders are now being accepted, but you will be forgiven if you think this is all happening on a slow time scale. There are simply a lot of things to do before ALTe can sell the truck. ALTe is currently attempting to join Ford's EQVM program, which is the electric version of the standard Qualified Vehicle Modifiers program. The QVM program requires coachbuilders to "be successfully evaluated by Ford Motor Company on criteria such as engineering, the manufacturing process, quality control, and adherence to Ford and Lincoln Divisions guidelines." Qualified applicants must also meet all applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, conform to Ford/Lincoln conversion guidelines and agree to be inspected annually as well as have a "commitment to continuous improvement." Maki has a simpler explanation. "It basically means you're a preferred supplier, a Tier 1, if you will," he said.