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Ford is recalling more Takata airbag-equipped Ford and Lincoln models

The Basics: Takata, the beleaguered airbag supplier at the root of the largest recall in automotive history, has informed Ford of a problem with the airbags in just over 30,000 Ford and Lincoln models. The problem is not related to the non-desiccated ammonium nitrate airbag inflators that plague the other airbags ( including many Fords), meaning there isn't a risk of shrapnel flying out from the units in this particular recall. The Problem: In the event of an accident, the front airbags may only partially inflate, and the airbag may become detached from the module because of misaligned parts. The problem affects 2016 and 2017 Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX models built at the Oakville Assembly Plant. The issue also affects 2017 Lincoln Continentals that were built at the Flat Rock Assembly Plant. Injuries/Deaths: In a release, Ford stated that it is not aware of any accidents, injuries, or deaths related to the airbag issue. The Fix: Dealers will replace the driver-side front airbag module at no cost. If You Own One: Sit tight and wait for Ford to notify owners. When that happens, take your car to the dealer for a replacement. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. News Source: FordImage Credit: AOL/Drew Phillips Recalls Ford Lincoln Maintenance Safety lincoln mkx

Former Ford CEO Alan Mulally lands on Google board

Former Ford CEO Alan Mulally often referred to the Blue Oval as a technology company when he led the automaker. Now he'll be offering guidance to a different kind of technology firm: Google.
Mulally was appointed to Google's board of directors July 9, and late Tuesday, it was announced that he will serve on the company's audit committee. The veteran executive led Ford from September 2006 until he retired in June, succeeded by Mark Fields.
While Mulally will act as a board member - rather than in a managerial role - his presence adds credibility to Google's recently announced plans to produce an autonomous car. The ambitious program calls for 100 prototypes to begin testing later this summer. Production of the car is rumored to be in collaboration with a Detroit area performance company, Roush.

Obama Administration wants 200-mile EV that charges in under 10 minutes

When it comes to electric vehicles, you can find issues preventing mass adoption pretty much anywhere. Which is why you can then also look for solutions pretty much anywhere. That's the method the Obama Administration announced yesterday and it involves everything from shorter charging times to more public chargers, from bigger government fleets of electrified vehicles to an "Electric Vehicle Hackathon." The new plan is looking into blistering charging speeds of up to 350 kW. Perhaps most exciting, there was a commitment made to try and increase the speed of fast charging. Today, Tesla's Supercharger network has the fastest public charging available ( up to 145 kW), but the new plan is looking into blistering speeds of up to 350 kW. That's fast enough to recharge a 200-mile EV in under 10 minutes. Another cool future was promised by the Battery500 Consortium goal, which wants to create better batteries that cost under $100 per kWh. There was no actual technology revealed at this time, but announcements like this are about new ways to approach the future, not the nitty-gritty technical details. That's why the new announcement touts the fact that 12 utilities and charging companies have committed to increase their deployment of EVs and charging infrastructure, that there are 35 new partners (businesses, non-profits, universities, and utilities) for the DOE's Workplace Charging Challenge, and that there will be an EV "Hackathon" this fall to, "discover insights and develop new solutions for electric vehicle charging." The White House's announcement comes on the heels of the first-ever Sustainable Transportation Summit (STS). The STS was sponsored by the Department of Energy (DOE) and was held earlier this month in Washington, DC. After all this activity, almost 50 companies and organizations have signed on to the new "Guiding Principles to Promote Electric Vehicles and Charging Infrastructure" document, including the usual suspects: Tesla, BMW, Nissan, Ford, General Motors, Chargepoint, the California Air Resources Board, and the State of California (notably, the usual suspects are also missing). You can read the entire announcement from the White House here, but we've put the Guiding Principles below. The Obama Administration has made strong pushes for electric vehicles before, including proposals to increase the tax credit for EV buyers to $10,000, among other things.