2014 Ford F-350 Dually on 2040-cars

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Ford's smartwatch apps let drivers unlock its EVs

In recent months, both Hyundai and Volvo have launched smartwatch apps, allowing car owners to control some of their vehicle's functions from the comfort of their wrist. Now Ford wants in on the action. In the latest update to its MyFord app, available on both iOS and Android Wear, the carmaker is letting drivers of select electric and plug-in hybrid models access information on their vehicle battery status (including the estimated range), enable the air-conditioning, lock and unlock the car and follow directions to where their car is parked. One particularly interesting feature is the addition of a personal driving score, which indicates how well you are driving by factoring in your average miles to the gallon, distance traveled and how efficiently you accelerate and slow down. The more green leaves you see on the display, the better you're driving. If you own a Ford C-Max Energi, Ford Focus Electric, or Ford Fusion Energi and either an Apple Watch or Android Wear smartwatch (or both), then download the app right away. This article by Matt Brian originally ran on Engadget, the definitive guide to this connected life. New Ford Smart Watch Apps Allow Electric Vehicle Owners to Check Status from their Wrist Smartwatch owners can now download an update for the MyFord® Mobile app in the Apple App Store and Google Play, which includes Android Wear and Apple Watch smartwatch applications The apps, developed by Ford engineers, allow users who drive Ford battery electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles to check their battery charge level, determine driving range before a trip and locate where their vehicle is parked, among many other offerings – all from their wrist MyFord Mobile watch apps specifically developed to fit the design of both round and rectangular watch faces DEARBORN, Mich., Sept. 16, 2015 – Drivers of Ford electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles can now access their battery charge status, unlock their doors and get a driving score from their last trip with the MyFord® Mobile application for smartwatches. "The app gives drivers the ability to quickly check important data like available range before leaving on a journey – without having to access the mobile application on their smartphone," said David Hatton, Ford manager, Connected Vehicles and Services.

3dCarbon now offering body kit for Ford Fusion

A factory-backed body kit by 3dCarbon is now available to Ford Fusion owners who want their car to stand out from the crowd while not being too flashy. The body kit adds a more aggressive front spoiler, side skirts, rear body trim and spoiler that are, in fact, integrated quite nicely into the Fusion's already-comely styling, just as 3dCarbon claims. All Fusions with the kit also receive dual exhaust ports with the stainless-steel exhaust surrounds usually reserved for the Titanium package Fusion EcoBoost models.
A nice detail of 3dCarbon's injection-molded urethane body kit is that it has undergone crash testing to certify that it can withstand crashes up to five miles per hour. Because of this, the kit is warrantied by 3dCarbon for five years or 50,000 miles, much like Ford's warranty on its own parts. In fact, the kit is available through participating Ford dealers and can be financed through Ford Motor Credit. Buyers can purchase the kit - pre-painted or unpainted - and install it themselves, or it can be purchased with a new Ford Fusion and installed at the dealer, pre-painted to factory specifications. Of course, it can also be ordered directly from the source. Take a look at the press release below for more detailed information on the body kit, and let us know what you think of it in Comments.

GM says it favors fuel-efficiency rules based on historic rates

WASHINGTON — General Motors backs an annual increase in fuel-efficiency standards based on "historic rates" rather than tough Obama era rules or a Trump administration proposal that would freeze requirements, according to a federal filing made public on Monday. The largest U.S. automaker said the Obama rules that aimed to hike fleet fuel efficiency to more than 50 miles per gallon by 2025 are "not technologically feasible or economically practicable." The Detroit automaker said that since 1980, the motor vehicle fleet has improved fuel efficiency at an average rate of 1 percent a year. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV said in separate comments that the auto industry is complying with existing fuel efficiency requirements by using credits from prior model years. As a result, even if requirements are frozen at 2020 levels, "the industry would need to continue to improve fuel economy" as credits expire, it added, warning if the government hikes standards beyond 2020 requirements "the situation worsens ... without some significant form of offset or flexibility." Fiat Chrysler and Ford urged the government to reclassify two-wheel drive SUVs as light trucks, which face less stringent requirements than cars. A four-wheel drive version of the same SUV is considered a light truck. Ford backs fuel rules "that increase year-over-year with additional flexibility to help us provide more affordable options for our customers." GM's comments said it was "troubled" that President Donald Trump's administration wants to phase out incentives for electric vehicles. The Trump plan's preferred alternative freezes standards at 2020 levels through 2026 and hikes U.S. oil consumption by about 500,000 barrels per day in the 2030s but reduces automakers' collective regulatory costs by more than $300 billion. It would bar California from requiring automakers to sell a rising number of electric vehicles or setting state emissions rules. The administration of former President Obama had adopted rules, effective in 2021, calling for an annual increase of 4.4 percent in fuel-efficiency requirements from 2022 through 2025. GM has been lobbying Congress to lift the existing cap on electric vehicles eligible for a $7,500 tax credit. The credit phases out over a 12-month period after an individual automaker hits 200,000 electric vehicles sold, and GM is close to that point.