Roomier Ford Escort Could Come To America

Could the Ford Escort return to American shores? Ford CEO Alan Mulally thinks so, as the extra-roomy compact was designed for China, but could come here. It’s all a part of the One Ford plan, though where the Escort would fit remains an unanswered question.

The Ford Escort is about the same size as the Ford Focus (because it’s based on a Focus), but with additional backseat legroom to appeal to Chinese consumers. Designed by teams based in China for the local market. Mulally said that the Escort would likely migrate to other markets including, eventually, America.

So where would the Escort fit, exactly? It could be slotted between the Fusion and the Focus, or perhaps just rebadged as a different variation of the Focus, which isn’t much of a stretch since the share platforms. With extra room, it could make a fine livery replacement for those companies now ready to fill their fleets with Ford Transit Connect taxi vans. Along the same vein, it could be sold only as a fleet-only vehicle to help Ford regain market share lost with the retirement of the Crown Victoria.

Then again, adding the Escort to America’s lineup might just crowd out other cars, like the Focus and Fusion. Perhaps this is one Ford that can stay overseas.

Source: Automotive News

Ford’s New Concept Another Step Towards Self-Driving Cars

This week sees the opening of the Frankfurt Auto Show, but Ford Motor Company got a jump start on news week with the unveiling of a new concept car at the IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin, Germany this week. While the car itself is not new, the technology on board is a big step towards cars that eventually drive themselves.

Based on a Ford S-Max minivan-ish car, the concept was introduced by Ford CEO Alan Mulally himself at the IFA show. The concept hosts a suite of technologies aimed at automating many driving features.

The heart of this system is a wireless car-to-car communications system using various WiFi networks that communicates road dangers to other vehicles further back.  Also on board is an innovative camera and radar system can automatically apply the brakes if it senses a pedestrian. A self-parking system that can maneuver the car into both perpendicular and parallel parking spots, and unpark itself as well, stealing a lot of work from body shops that rely on bad drivers.

As proof that Big Brother watching isn’t always a bad thing, a heart-rate monitor can share important information about your health while driving with your doctor, should you allow it. Ford has demonstrated similar technology in the past, like an alert system that can monitor sleepy drivers and suggest they pull over and get some sleep.

These technologies do not allow the Ford concept to drive by itself, unlike the Google car. Mulally was also careful to not mention any sort of timeline for automated vehicles, candidly explaining how difficult this technology is to develop. The long-term benefits are immense though, and some analysts think self-driving cars can be a trillion (with a T) dollar industry.

For alt-fuel fans like ourselves, self-driving cars can also introduce new ways to utilize new and existing energy resources in the most efficient way possible. But if you ask me, automated cars are still decades away from dealership lots, and could even become a moving goal post, much like hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles.

One thing’s for sure though; many automakers are suddenly very keen on the idea of self-driving cars. Is the public as well?

Source: CNET

Consumer Preferences Shift as Gas Prices Rise - As If This Was Not Obvious

CINCINNATI, Jan. 25, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Mid month reports from the U.S. Energy Information Association confirm what your wallet already knows... that gas prices are on the rise across the United States. In fact, there is not a region across the country where prices were not up from the same period a year ago. Additionally, this rise put the price per gallon of gasoline above the $3 threshold in every region across the U.S. with the exception of one.

In mid January, Ford Motor Company CEO, Alan Mulally, was quoted as saying, "As fuel prices go up, people put more emphasis on fuel economy. We saw previously that as gas prices get above $3, people start making different decisions." Unlike a couple of years ago the automotive industry is better prepared as prices increase. This is especially true for the domestic automakers that are much better positioned this time around with more fuel efficient offerings. For instance, Chevrolet is introducing 3 new fuel efficient entrants including the Cruze, Sonic, and the much anticipated Volt plug-in hybrid electric.

Recent search requests at Swapalease.com indicate that the $3 per gallon barrier may cause a shift in consumer attitudes toward the importance of fuel efficiency when selecting their next vehicle. Company officials noted that search requests for higher mile per gallon vehicles have increased notably over the last several months. Clients looking to transfer out of leases as a result of fuel economy concerns is trending upward, too.

Company President and Co-Founder, Richard Joseph stated, "More of our clients were searching for cars that require less fill ups as 2010 came to a close and so far into 2011." He added, "Swapalease.com listened to customer feedback regarding the request for a way to easily search for more fuel efficient vehicles by incorporating a Green/Hybrid category search option." Customers can now search hybrid vehicles on Swapalease.com with a simple click of a button.

About Swapalease.com:

Headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, Swapalease.com is the world's largest automotive lease marketplace and the pioneer in facilitating lease transfers online. First conceptualized in 1997, Swapalease has evolved into a leading automotive consumer online destination servicing all aspects of the automotive leasing lifecycle including education, research, pricing, acquisition and lease transfer. For more information, please call 866-SWAPNOW (866-792-7669) or visit www.swapalease.com.

Ford Releases Focus Electric Teaser Ahead of 2011 International CES Launch

On Friday at 11 AM PST, CEO Alan Mulally will have big news from the 2011 International CES in Las Vegas. We'll broadcast his keynote address on a Livestream tab on this page and have exclusive technology news every hour leading up to his address.

Here are some teaser photos from Ford's Facebook page:

Alan Mulally, Ford CEO, Proclaims They Don't Need Government Money

Ford CEO Alan Mulally sates, "“We don’t want to borrow any more money. We have sufficient liquidity to fund our transformation plan, which means our business is in a relatively good shape." Contrarily, GM and Chrysler have secured $17.4 billion in US Government secured loans as a bridge to becoming better, leaner auto manufacturers.

The question is, "What does this mean in terms of US consumer confidence?" Will potential car buyers look at Ford as being the most likely to survive and not declare bankruptcy? Will this even figure into their minds? I would think that only a small percentage of customers even realize that Ford did not receive the government hand outs.

Another factor to consider is that Ford does not have to adhere to government stipulations concerning the loans. They do not have submit their business plans as a contingency for further monies. All in all, I would say that Ford is in a relatively good position, whereas Chrysler and GM's are tenuous at best.