New MyFord Mobile App Keeps Focus Electric Owner Engaged And In Control Of Electric Car Experience ~ Auto Review

DEARBORN, Mich., Jan. 7, 2011 – Electric vehicle owners can plug in and walk away from their vehicles while staying connected, thanks to the new MyFord Mobile app being introduced exclusively with the all-new Ford Focus Electric.

The unique new MyFord Mobile technology provides Focus Electric owners in North America with a powerful tool to stay connected, monitor and control their vehicle. Via a smartphone or a secure website, MyFord Mobile allows Focus Electric owners to plan trips, monitor the vehicle’s state of charge, receive various alerts for vehicle charging, as well as provides several other features designed to simplify the electric vehicle ownership experience.

It is part of the innovative Ford approach to understand that electric vehicle customers want to be informed and in control of their vehicle at all times, especially while away from the vehicle.

The technology builds on Ford’s connectivity leadership and is part of a complete suite of tools designed to give Focus Electric vehicle owners peace of mind through constant connectivity, helping strengthen the unique EV ownership experience.

“We’re putting battery charge and vehicle range information, along with an interactive, data-driven trip planning app right at customers’ fingertips,” said Ed Pleet, Ford Connected Services manager. “That’s going to get drivers involved and excited about the electric car ownership experience.”

MyFord Mobile uses an on-board wireless module integrated into Focus Electric that allows the car to communicate off-board via standard cellular technology. Owners can use any connected mobile phone with a data plan or computer with Internet access when not operating a vehicle to:

Find current and projected state of charge information including estimated range and the amount of charge time necessary for additional distances
Program vehicle charging with utility input, allowing the car to start charging immediately or when electricity prices are lowest with the value charging feature, powered by Microsoft
Using features powered by MapQuest®:
o Locate charging stations and get the destination sent to the vehicle

o Know if the vehicle can reach a specific charge station from its current location with the current charge level

o Create a journey with multiple stops, and determine the likelihood that the car has adequate charge for the full journey

o Find the car by creating a route from a mobile phone to the vehicle

Receive alerts if the vehicle isn’t charging when it’s scheduled to, or if charging stops unexpectedly due to a power outage, plug removal or other event
Receive alerts during recharge when the vehicle has reached a particular preset charge level or has the ability to reach a particular destination
Engage remote vehicle preconditioning, using grid power to heat or cool the battery and vehicle interior
Remotely lock/unlock doors
Use the built-in GPS system to locate the car
Download performance and system data
Receive various achievements for driving and ownership milestones that can then be posted to your Facebook or Twitter account
Fun ways of understanding your driver behavior, with ratings from ‘Zen’ to ‘zippy’
Receive information personalized to the driver, depending on which key the driver used
How the system works

At launch, the MyFord Mobile app will be available for most major smartphones, including BlackBerry, Android and iPhone, along with a mobile web application for compatibility with any phone supporting HTML-5 browser-based access, or features phones with WAP 2.0-supported browsers. The feature also is accessible via a secure Ford website.

Owners will use the smartphone to communicate with a cloud-based secure server, which stores information provided by an embedded wireless module in Focus Electric. Using a cloud-based architecture ensures users will have up-to-the-minute access to information anywhere both they and the vehicle have connectivity.

Key component in the electric vehicle ownership experience

MyFord Mobile is a primary feature in the suite of tools Focus Electric owners in North America will have to help them manage the recharge process and involve them engagingly.

They will engage with a version of MyFord Touch™, the Ford driver connect technology, which is being introduced across the all-new Focus family, designed exclusively for electric vehicle owners. The MyFord Touch system in Focus Electric adds an impressive layer of electric vehicle operation information on top of the broader MyFord Touch functionality.

The unique implementation of MyFord Touch offers configurability of vehicle information including battery state of charge, range budget, distance to charge point and expected range surplus. The cluster’s MyView option allows drivers to access even more vehicle data such as the electrical demands of vehicle accessories including air conditioning, which can impact driving range.

Working with the charge station manufacturers and MapQuest, Ford will provide Focus Electric owners with the most current, comprehensive charging station information in the country. That information is accessed via MyFord Mobile and can then be communicated to Focus Electric using SYNC’s Traffic, Directions and Information Service (TDI) when the vehicle is stationary.

Once SYNC TDI receives a charging station location from MyFord Mobile, turn-by-turn guidance is provided by the in-car map-based Navigation System. In the vehicle, drivers also can get charging station information directly through SYNC TDI simply by connecting to SYNC Services using voice commands.

Additional elements of the ownership experience include a new value charging feature powered by Microsoft that lowers cost of ownership by allowing customers to recharge their vehicles at off-peak or at other reduced rates from their utility through an uncomplicated “set it and forget it” approach.

“Ford recognizes the electric vehicle ownership experience is going to be new for just about everyone,” said Pleet. “Our goal is not just to provide the most practical, enjoyable electric car on the market, but also to give drivers the information, applications and resources they need to feel confident about choosing fun, environmentally conscious transportation.”