Ford has been doing a full court press with both gamers and geeks in the last few days. Ford had a booth for the Focus ST at E3. Plus the Blue Oval has released the first TV ad for the 2013 Focus ST based on footage coming from fans via crowdsourced mobile phone footage.
Now during WWDC week, Ford has released a MyFord Mobile iPhone app. With the first retail customers taking delivery of America’s most energy-efficient compact car, the 2012 Ford Focus Electric, the app helps owners locate charging stations and recharge their cars in half the time of the Nissan Leaf.
MyFord Mobile allows Focus Electric owners link up with their cars via an embedded AT&T wireless module that provides for remote communication. Drivers can log in at any time to check the current state of charge of the advanced lithium-ion battery pack and enable the exclusive value charging mode.
Making Green Social
Focus Electric drivers also will be able to share, learn and teach smart driving by participating in forums on the MyFord Mobile website. The site has features like leader boards, achievements and social networking so owners can have friendly competition on how green they are driving. You can even share those achievements and stats with your friends on Facebook and Twitter.
“The MyFord Mobile app and the Focus Electric work together to coach drivers to be more efficient and maximize the benefits of the electric vehicle experience,” said Joe Rork, MyFord Mobile product manager. “We wanted to help drivers get more miles out of every charge and have some fun along the way.”
MyFord Mobile can also help drivers learn to be more energy efficient by automatically uploading and processing vehicle data from each trip. After arriving at a destination, drivers can check the trip and charge log to see how far they drove, how much energy was consumed and how much braking energy was recaptured. They can also get overall driving scores.
Trip Planning – Best Routes with Charging Stations
The MapQuest-powered trip planner built into both the app and Web portal enables users to find available public charging stations and plan efficient multi-destination routes. Users can select their next destination and send it directly to the car from either the app or the portal voice guidance.
When you are at the mall or at work, the new app lets you monitor the current battery charge level and how long the car will need to be plugged in for to get a full charge or reach a desired range. This industry-first value charging technology co-developed with Microsoft can help customers charge the car at the lowest possible cost.
Owners can also use MyFord Mobile to program their driving schedule with GO Times and set a desired cabin temperature. Do you want a warm car on that cold morning? Using GO Times will heat it up without using battery power. Are you leaving in the middle of the night? GO Times will ensure you use as much of that value charge as possible and still ensure you have a full battery.
The embedded wireless connection enables the car to send a text message alert to the owner if someone unplugs the Focus before the battery is fully charged or the owner forgets to plug in at night.
At Home
When the Focus Electric is plugged in at home, value charging harnesses the power of Microsoft’s cloud computing platform to check local utility rates and then automatically starts charging after the prices drop. With value charging, Focus Electric users get reduced operating costs and use power when there is less strain on the electrical grid. An added benefit is owners don’t have to go searching for energy pricing data.
Get A My Ford Mobile Account
Focus Electric drivers can register an account now at www.myfordmobile.com and download the free iPhone app from the iTunes App Store. Drivers who are curious about making the jump to gasoline-free driving can check out the site and the app as a guest. MyFord Mobile will also work with the upcoming C-MAX Energi and Fusion Energi plug-in hybrids.
