On the eve of the Los Angeles Auto Show, Ford will celebrate all things Fiesta Movement-related – the agents, social media and, of course, the Ford Fiesta – during an awards celebration at the Palladium in West Hollywood.

Among the awards categories will be a viewer’s favorite, with fans and consumers having the opportunity to select their favorite Fiesta agent. Fans can visit www.fiestamovement.com to cast their vote now, and can vote once daily; voting closes Dec. 1.
The Fiesta Movement Awards Celebration, which takes place Dec. 1, will provide attendees with a sneak peak of the new Fiesta in advance of its reveal at the Los Angeles Auto Show on Dec. 2.

The band Parachute will be on hand for a live performance featuring its hits “She Is Love” and “Under Control” from the debut album Losing Sleep. Fiesta agents are no strangers to Parachute; four of them created a music video for “Under Control” for October missions. The agent videos will debut at the awards celebration during Parachute’s performance.
In keeping with the spirit of the Fiesta Movement and its use of social media platforms, the awards celebration will also play host to the world’s largest corporate tweetup.

Building buzz
As part of the Fiesta Movement social media initiative, 100 young trendsetters are test driving and living with a European-spec Ford Fiesta for six months, traveling as agents on special missions. They then go on to relate their experiences through a variety of social media sites.

Throughout the Fiesta Movement, agents have traveled more than 1.1 million miles and have generated more than 5.5 million YouTube views, more than 677,000 Flickr views and more than 3.4 million Twitter impressions. The Fiesta Movement and test drive program has resulted in more than 60,000 hand-raisers.

Quotes
“We’re celebrating the agents and all of the engaging content they created with this awards ceremony. Over the past six months, our agents have showed that they love Fiestas and we are thrilled to give three agents exactly what they want – a Fiesta of their own.”
– Connie Fontaine, Ford Brand Content and Alliances Manager

No surprise here! The Ford Fusion – America’s most fuel-efficient midsize sedan – today was named MOTOR TREND’s 2010 Car of the Year®. The award comes hot on the heels of Fusion setting record-breaking sales for 2009.

The prestigious award from MOTOR TREND comes at a time when Fusion sales are already at an all-time high, further positioning the vehicle as a formidable contender in the competitive midsize sedan market.

To win the coveted Car of the Year award, Fusion outperformed the competition – including the BMW 7 Series and Mercedes-Benz E-Class sedan – in six new categories: design achievement, engineering excellence, intended function, efficiency, safety and value.

The 2010 Fusion and Fusion Hybrid are the most fuel-efficient sedans in America. The new models offer more power; class-exclusive technologies, such as Blind Spot Information System (BLIS®) and Ford SYNC®; and more total passenger and luggage capacity than the Toyota Camry.

The Fusion lineup expanded in the 2010 model year to include all-new Hybrid and Sport models and a new selection of gas-powered engines – all paired with six-speed transmissions – that deliver even more horsepower and better fuel economy.

Fusion: A hit from the start
The Ford Fusion has been generating excitement among journalists and consumers alike since the nameplate first launched in the fall of 2005. In fact, the introductory model – which marked Ford’s re-entry into the midsize sedan market – was a finalist for MOTOR TREND’s 2006 Car of the Year award.

Since then, Fusion’s popularity has continued to soar – and so have sales. Fusion set a sales record in April – the first full month of sales for the redesigned 2010 model and the new Fusion Hybrid – and overall sales are already at an all-time high for 2009.

With its quality unsurpassed by Toyota or Honda, best-in-class fuel economy, class-exclusive technologies and significant residual value improvement, the 2010 Ford Fusion is clearly delivering the key attributes that midsize sedan buyers want.

The new Fusion Hybrid model has played an important role in Fusion’s success. The vehicle delivers an EPA estimated 41 mpg rating in the city and 36 mpg on the highway, topping the Toyota Camry hybrid by 8 mpg in the city and 2 mpg on the highway. It also offers innovative new technology – SmartGauge™ with EcoGuide – that coaches hybrid drivers to maximize fuel efficiency.

Quotes
“Ford has proven its resilience in these tough times by delivering to market a car with broad appeal to a broad range of consumers. The Fusion range has matured into a competitive roster of midsize sedans, able to compete with sales juggernauts such as the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord. It is no surprise the Fusion now ranks in the top 10 best-selling cars in America.”
– Angus MacKenzie, MOTOR TREND Eitor-in-chief

“The Fusion brought a vast assortment of choice that has the potential to appeal to every type of driver, from the eco-conscious to the sport-minded. The Fusion’s combination of comfort, fuel efficiency, assortment and technology made it a clear winner among our panel of judges.”
– Angus MacKenzie, MOTOR TREND Eitor-in-chief

“The MOTOR TREND Car of the Year award is another testament of our commitment to delivering a world-class car lineup. Whether it is the best-in-class fuel economy or quality unsurpassed by Toyota or Honda, the Fusion and Fusion Hybrid are clear evidence that Ford is serious about our car lineup.”
– Derrick Kuzak, Goup Vce Pesident, Ford Global Product Development, who accepted the golden calipers on behalf of the Ford team

“Even at a time when industry-wide sales are down 26 percent, Fusion sales continue to grow.” – George Pipas, Ford Sales Analyst

“Data show that high series models account for 50 percent of sales. Customers are also embracing technology offerings like voice-activated navigation, SYNC and Sony® Audio.”
– Jonathan Richards, Fusion Marketing Manager

It’s no wonder that the single biggest demographic for energy drinks also goes for Ford’s EcoBoost™ engine technology. EcoBoost is driving younger, more affluent customers to Ford showrooms. And many of these buyers are hot to trade in their competitive-make vehicles to get their hands on one equipped with the fuel-efficient direct-injection turbocharged EcoBoost engine.

SHO-ing off
Living proof is the all-new Ford Taurus SHO, with EcoBoost as standard. The average SHO buyer is 54 years old – 10-plus years younger than the base-model Taurus customer – and second youngest in its segment. The median household income of the SHO buyer is $20,000 more than the base Taurus customer. And as for conquests, nearly 55 percent of buyers are trading in Toyota Avalons, Nissan Altimas and Chevy Monte Carlos, among other competitive products, to drive away in a Taurus SHO. That’s the second-highest conquest rate in the segment.

Moreover, Taurus SHO customers want more and are willing to spend more to get it. Ford is seeing transaction rate improvements as EcoBoost buyers tend to package more options in their purchase, and the vehicles are selling with fewer incentives.

Taurus SHO has the highest average transaction price in the segment, with customers paying $10,000 or more above base-model price to enjoy not only the fuel efficiency and performance of the EcoBoost engine, but other premium package amenities such as all-wheel drive, Ford SYNC®, 19-inch wheels and a reverse sensing system.

EcoBoost spread
Other vehicles that offer EcoBoost, such as the Ford Flex and Lincoln MKS, are exhibiting other demographic phenomena.

Lincoln MKS with EcoBoost – along with Taurus SHO – is helping attract more 35- to 55-year-old males, a demographic the company has been working hard to bring back to the Ford fold. Ford sedans with EcoBoost are improving traffic with this demographic that has eluded Ford in recent years, says Amy Marentic, Ford group marketing manager. This group of shoppers, in fact, represents nearly 35 percent of Lincoln MKS with EcoBoost buyers, which is more than 5 percentage points higher than the MKS equipped with the 3.7-liter engine. For Taurus SHO, it’s above 40 percent, more than double the 35- to 55-year-old males that purchase a base-model Taurus.

Other customers making the jump to Ford vehicles are hitting the Flex with EcoBoost equally hard; three out of four buyers are trading in a competitive product, including the Toyota Highlander, GMC Acadia and Chevy Traverse.

More with EcoBoost
EcoBoost technology incorporates direct injection and turbocharging, allowing for the downsizing of engines, to provide customers with up to a 20 percent improvement in fuel economy and 15 percent reduction in emissions versus larger-displacement engines. With the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6, customers can expect V-8 performance but V-6 fuel efficiency.

Sales of Ford’s 3.5-liter EcoBoost-equipped vehicles have already exceeded company projections, with October sales twice as high as September.

Ford will complement the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6 engine with the launch of new 1.6-liter and 2.0-liter four-cylinder variants next year, which will be offered on several global Ford products, including midsize and large vehicles.

Quotes
“EcoBoost technology is helping bring in a new customer to Ford dealer showrooms. This customer is younger, more affluent, and more often trades in competitive products.”
– Amy Marentic, Ford Group Marketing Manager

“No one else offers the level of performance and versatility of Flex with EcoBoost. It’s a compelling buy in the crossover segment for customers who are looking for the power and performance of a traditional V-8 but do not want to sacrifice this for fuel economy.”
– Kate Pearce, Flex Marketing Manager

Flora and fauna are thriving at the doorstep of the automotive industry thanks to the efforts of Ford Land and Ford Motor Company employees.

Ford Land, which manages Ford Motor Company properties worldwide, has received 2009 Wildlife Habitat Certification for the Arjay Miller Michigan Arboretum at the Henry Ford II World Center campus and Research & Engineering Center campus, both in Dearborn.

The Wildlife Habitat Council’s Corporate Wildlife Habitat Certification/International Accreditation Program recognizes commendable wildlife habitat management and environmental education programs at individual sites. WHC certification adds value to programs by providing third-party credibility and an objective evaluation of projects.

Wildlife HQ
The Henry Ford II World Center campus is situated on 179 acres, of which 43 acres are available for wildlife habitat enhancement projects. The facility is located approximately ¼-mile from the main branch of the Rouge River.

The World Center maintains an arboretum of native Michigan plants called “The Arjay Miller Michigan Arboretum.” The purpose of the arboretum is to provide a living panorama of the great variety of trees and shrubs that are native to Michigan. The arboretum grew to be one of the largest in the United States devoted exclusively to trees and shrubs from a specific state.

The wildlife team established no-mow areas on the campus to increase forage and cover habitat for birds, small mammals and invertebrates. To provide forage opportunities for birds and pollinators, the wildlife team maintains sunflower and mixed prairie plantings. The sunflowers are left standing through the winter so that the seeds are available to migrating and overwintering birds. A “hedgerow” of wooded buffer is maintained along one edge of the property, which provides habitat for birds and small mammals along with foxes and coyotes.

Nurturing the natural world
Ford’s Research & Engineering Center is a 325-acre site near Detroit in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. The property includes habitats such as oak-maple savanna, prairie, two ponds and vernal pools. The wildlife team actively manages 86 acres of the site for wildlife.

In 2008 and 2009, 200 employees participated in the “R&E Center Pride Day.” The objectives of this annual event include encouraging native fauna by providing additional native flora species, replacing the trees lost to invasive insects like emerald ash borer and red oak borer, and improving aesthetics of the campus. In 2008, employees planted approximately two acres with 1,200 perennial grasses and wildflowers, 250 shrugs and 200 tree saplings. An additional 100 tree saplings were planted over one acre in 2009. The wildlife team monitors the plantings for survival and maintains them by pruning dead branches, staking the trees and removing any plants that do not survive.

The team also continues to maintain its thriving one-acre prairies adjacent to the woodland. This habitat contains native prairie species such as beebalm, yellow coneflower, little bluestem, vervain, black-eyed Susan and aster. The team mows the prairie annually to simulate the fire that would maintain a natural prairie ecosystem. Team members also hand-pull invasive species as they are found and spot-spray with herbicide if necessary.

Sunflower fields that span 26 acres provide food and shelter to both migrating birds and birds that overwinter in the region. The sunflower fields are planted annually in mid-July to ensure that the sunflower seeds are available by the fall season.

Quote
“Although environmental education and ecological restoration may not be seen as core business intiatives in the automotive industry, we do them because they make a positive difference. They make a difference to the wildlife that inhabits the land and they make a difference to our employees who have the opportunity to enjoy natural beauty in or near their work environment.”
– Terry Burt, Ford Land Grounds Manager

Did you know: Today’s typical wind turbine stands as tall as a 20-story building and has three blades that span 200 feet across. The largest wind machines in the world have blades longer than a football field.

On November 16, two gigantic wind turbines, each with a height of 150 metres, spun into action producing ‘green’ electricity for the Genk plant in Belgium. Installed by local energy company, Electrabel, each unit has an output of two megawatts of power, enough to power 2,500 private homes. The wind turbines will deliver a significant part of the electrical power needed in the Genk Plant, production home of the Mondeo, S-MAX and Galaxy models.

The Turbinator: “Rise of the Machines”
Did you know: Most of the wind power plants in the world are located in Europe and the United States. Although the U.S. ranks first in the world in wind power capacity, some countries such as Denmark generate about 20 percent of their electricity from wind.

Genk is not the only Ford of Europe plant to use electricity generated by wind turbines. Five years ago, the Dagenham Diesel Centre in the UK became the world’s first automotive plant to meet all its electricity needs from two giant on-site turbines.

A third turbine is expected to come into service in Dagenham in 2010, allowing the plant to remain 100 per cent powered by wind-generated electricity, following the installation of a new 1.4/1.6-litre Duratorq TDCi engine production line. A new three-bladed turbine, provided by Ecotricity, will be commissioned to produce two megawatts of electricity, enough to power more than 1,000 homes.

A few miles away from Dagenham, Ford’s Dunton Technical Centre is also powered by electricity from renewable sources. Since March last year, electric power on the 270-acre site, home to a team of around 3,000 engineers, has been purchased from 100 per cent renewable sources. The majority of the electricity, supplied by GDF, is sourced from a combination of hydro, wind and waste generation, and replaces energy from traditional sources that would have produced an estimated 35,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually.

An “energizer” that keeps going and going
Did you know: Over half of renewable energy goes to producing electricity. The next largest use is the production of heat and steam for industrial purposes.

Similarly in Germany, Ford is sourcing renewable electricity to cover the power demands of its sites in Cologne. This includes the electricity needed for the production facilities at the Niehl Plant, the Technical Centre in Merkenich, and Ford of Europe’s head office, also in Cologne-Niehl. This electricity comes from three hydro-power plants in Norway and Sweden.

Since January 2009 in a related development, Merkenich Technical Centre has been heated by steam provided by local utility provider, RheinEnergie, as a by-product of its co-generation power plant. The steam is fed to the Technical Centre’s boiler house via a 2.6 km long pipeline. This innovation alone reduces annual CO2 emissions by 190,000 tonnes.

Electricity from another source – the sun – has for many years helped to power Ford’s Bridgend engine plant in Wales with its roof-mounted solar/photovoltaic panels.

Quotes
“It is part of our ongoing efforts to implement a broad portfolio of environmental initiatives across our European plants that are aimed at further reducing the CO2 footprint from our manufacturing operations.”
– Wolfgang Schneider, Vice President, Governmental and Environmental Affairs, Ford of Europe

“Such developments demonstrate the substantial progress we are making and our commitment to further improving our environmental performance. We are building on that progress and continuing to look at ways to further reducing the carbon footprint of our manufacturing and office locations across Europe parallel to the carbon footprint of our products.”
– Wolfgang Schneider, Vice President, Governmental and Environmental Affairs, Ford of Europe

Remember when parallel parking kept you awake at night? Then, along came Ford’s Active Park Assist technology that made it so easy you could almost parallel park in your sleep. Well, almost.

Ford’s Active Park Assist technology won a 2009 “Best of What’s New” award today from Popular Science in the automotive category and will be featured in the publication’s December issue. This is the third straight year Ford has been honored by the world’s leading science and technology magazine.

How it works
Active Park Assist uses sensors on the front and rear of the vehicle to guide the vehicle into a parking space. The technology is a major leap forward in speed and ease of use compared with camera-reliant systems. The Ford system requires less driver interface and reduces the risk of selecting a parking spot that is too tight. Unlike competing systems, Active Park Assist also works in downhill parking situations, and is available as an optional feature on several 2010 models including Ford Escape, Ford Flex, Lincoln MKS, Lincoln MKT and Mercury Mariner.

• The driver activates the system by pressing an instrument panel button, which activates the ultrasonic sensors to measure and identify a feasible parallel parking space.
• The system then prompts the driver to accept its assistance to park.
• The steering system then takes over and steers the car into the parking space hands-free. The driver still shifts the transmission and operates the gas and brake pedals.
• A visual and/or audible driver interface advises the driver about the proximity of other cars, objects and people and provides instructions.
• While the steering is all done automatically, the driver remains responsible for safe parking and can interrupt the system by grasping the steering wheel.

Quotes
“We are honored to be recognized by Popular Science with a Best of What’s New award.. Active Park Assist is just one example of the smart technology features Ford is bringing to market not just for the sake of technology, but to meet the needs and wants of customers.”
– Derrick Kuzak, Ford Group Vice President of Global Product Development

“For 22 years, Popular Science has honored the innovations that surprise and amaze us – those that make a positive impact on our world today and challenge our views of what’s possible in the future. The Best of What’s New award is the magazine’s top honor, and the 100 winners represent the highest level of achievement in their fields.”
– Mark Jannot, Editor-in-chief of Popular Science

Soaring sales of the Ford Fusion have made 2009 already a record-breaking year for America’s most fuel-efficient midsize sedan.

Sales for 2009 already have reached 151,137 units, eclipsing the previous Fusion full-year sales high of 149,552 in 2007. Importantly, Fusion sales are skyrocketing at a time when industry sales are the lowest they have been since the early ’80s.

Welcome to the Top 10
In the first ten months of 2009, Fusion sales were 15 percent higher than a year ago. Also, Fusion has moved among America’s Top 10 selling vehicles and the No. 1 selling domestic car.

The 2010 Fusion and Fusion Hybrid are the most fuel-efficient sedans in America. The new models offer more power, class-exclusive technologies, such as Blind Spot Information System (BLIS®) and Ford SYNC®, and more total passenger and luggage capacity than the Toyota Camry.

The diversity of the 2010 Fusion lineup is drawing a growing number of customers to the brand. Sales data show that consumers are taking notice. Fusion Hybrid, Sport and SEL models account for 50 percent of sales. Data also show that customers are embracing technology offerings such as voice-activated navigation, SYNC and Sony® Audio.”

The hybrid attraction
Sales of the new Fusion Hybrid account for almost 20 percent of total Fusion retail sales. Perhaps even more significant, more than 60 percent of Fusion Hybrid sales have been to customers coming from import brands – mostly Toyota and Honda.

The Fusion Hybrid delivers an EPA estimated 41 mpg rating in the city and 36 mpg on the highway, topping the Toyota Camry hybrid by 8 mpg in the city and 2 mpg on the highway. It also offers innovative new technology – SmartGauge™ with EcoGuide – that coaches hybrid drivers to maximize fuel efficiency.

According to early 2010 survey data obtained in the 2009 U.S. Global Quality Research System (GQRS), the 2010 Fusion Hybrid has the highest customer satisfaction ratings of any Ford vehicle ever. The survey was conducted for Ford Motor Company by RDA Group of Bloomfield Hills, Mich.

Quotes
“It’s extraordinary that a car could set a sales record in an environment where overall industry sales are down 26 percent from a year ago.”
– George Pipas, Ford Sales Analyst

“There is no reason for customers shopping for a midsize sedan to look beyond the Fusion, because the lineup offers something for everyone – a Hybrid model, a Sport version and a new selection of gas-powered engines paired with six-speed transmission.”
– Jonathan Richards, Ford Fusion Marketing Manager

Four passionate gamers who have burned rubber on the racetrack through their video game consoles brought their racing dreams to life at an actual speedway for the eighth installment of the Mustang ’10 Unleashed campaign.

Ford called upon the gaming community and staged a tournament with the best Need for Speed™ players to determine who would face the ultimate challenge. As masters of the video game racing world, the winners played Need for Speed to hone their driving skills. The selected gamers competed against each other in the critically acclaimed Need for Speed SHIFT™, which includes the new 2010 Ford Mustang.

After they battled it out on their Xbox consoles, the four gamers received a chance to put the pedal to the metal at Willow Springs Raceway in Rosamond, Calif. The contestants included Kirby Anderson (25); Troy Alessi (22); Justin Keppler (24); and Jason Morrell (24).

With the help of driving teachers from Fast Lane Racing School, the gamers learned the ins-and-outs of the actual sport of racing. At the end of the day, the participants had their time added up from their video racing and their time on the real-life track, as they raced on the same track, in the same car. The person with the lowest combined time won bragging rights.

This experience is among several other dream Mustang experiences Ford is bringing to life with the ’10 Unleashed. Famous drifter Vaughn Gittin Jr. slid sideways around Japan, consumer Roger Keeney drove blindly and 18-year-old consumer Derek Murrell drag raced his high school shop teacher. Each of the incredible videos can be viewed on www.the2010Mustang.com.

To find out who earned bragging rights on the virtual and real-life speedway, check out the video chronicling the Need for Speed experience at www.the2010mustang.com.

Quote
“The whole point of the Mustang Unleashed Campaign is to intersect the passions of our life-long Mustang lovers with their most creative, wildest, most impossible dreams,”. “We’ve taken two seemingly different worlds and weaved them into one amazing Unleashed experience for these four winners.”
– Steve Ling, Ford’s Car Group Marketing Manager

First, Ford used soy in car seats. Now, it’s using wheat in plastic. It’s all part of a complete breakfast. Now, how about dessert – a steering wheel molded in dark chocolate and a crepe air bag filled with whipped cream? Willy Wonka would be proud.

While we kid about edible car parts, it is true that Ford, working with academic researchers and one of its suppliers, is the first automaker to develop and use environmentally friendly wheat straw-reinforced plastic in a vehicle. (Ditto soy in seats.)

The first application of the natural fiber-based plastic that contains 20 percent wheat straw bio-filler is on the 2010 Ford Flex’s third-row interior storage bins. This application alone reduces petroleum usage by some 20,000 pounds per year, reduces CO2 emissions by 30,000 pounds per year, and represents a smart, sustainable usage for wheat straw, the waste byproduct of wheat.

Collaborative effort
Ford researchers were approached with the wheat straw-based plastics formulation by the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada, as part of the Ontario BioCar Initiative – a multi-university effort between Waterloo, the University of Guelph, University of Toronto and University of Windsor. Ford works closely with the Ontario government-funded project, which is seeking to advance the use of more plant-based materials in the auto and agricultural industries.

The University of Waterloo already had been working with plastics supplier A. Schulman of Akron, Ohio, to perfect the lab formula for use in auto parts, ensuring the material is not only odorless, but also meets industry standards for thermal expansion and degradation, rigidity, moisture absorption and fogging. Less than 18 months after the initial presentation was made to Ford’s Biomaterials Group, the wheat straw-reinforced plastic was refined and approved for Flex, which is produced at Ford’s Oakville (Ontario) Assembly Complex.

The wheat straw-reinforced resin is the BioCar Initiative’s first production-ready application. It demonstrates better dimensional integrity than a non-reinforced plastic and weighs up to 10 percent less than a plastic reinforced with talc or glass. “Without Ford’s driving force and contribution, we would have never been able to move from academia to industry in such lightning speed,” said Leonardo Simon, associate professor of chemical engineering at the University of Waterloo. “Seeing this go into production on the Ford Flex is a major accomplishment for the University of Waterloo and the BioCar Initiative.”

An interior storage bin may seem like a small start, but it opens the door for more applications. Already under consideration by the Ford team: center console bins and trays, interior air register and door trim panel components, and armrest liners.

Abundant waste material put to good use
The case for using wheat straw to reinforce plastics in higher-volume, higher-content applications is strong across many industries. In Ontario alone, where Flex is built, more than 28,000 farmers grow wheat, along with corn and soybeans. Typically, wheat straw, the byproduct of growing and processing wheat, is discarded. Ontario, for example, has some 30 million metric tons of available wheat straw waste at any given time.

To date, Ford and its suppliers are working with four southern Ontario farmers for the wheat straw needed to mold the Flex’s two interior storage bins.

Quotes
“Ford continues to explore and open doors for greener materials that positively impact the environment and work well for customers. We seized the opportunity to add wheat straw-reinforced plastic as our next sustainable material on the production line, and the storage bin for the Flex was the ideal first application.”
– Patrick Berryman, a Ford engineering manager who develops interior trim

“Wheat is everywhere and the straw is in excess. We have found a practical automotive usage for a renewable resource that helps reduce our dependence on petroleum, uses less energy to manufacture, and reduces our carbon footprint. More importantly, it doesn’t jeopardize an essential food source. We see a great deal of potential for other applications since wheat straw has good mechanical properties, can meet our performance and durability specifications, and can further reduce our carbon footprint – all without compromise to the customer. ”
– Dr. Ellen Lee, technical expert, Ford’s Plastics Research

Ask typical techies what they’d expect to see at International CES (Consumer Electronics Show) and their top-of-mind response might be the latest and greatest in mobile electronics. If that’s the case, they’re thinking too small, and not just in terms of physical dimensions. That’s because “mobile electronics” has taken on a whole new meaning that makes Game Boys and iPhones look like kids’ stuff.

Ford’s wide-ranging, customer-driven in-vehicle technology and features continue to gain recognition and awards from industry experts. Both Ford Work Solutions and SYNC – two Ford-exclusive technologies – will be honored with International CES (Consumer Electronics Show) 2010 Innovations Design and Engineering Awards.

Ford Work Solutions’ in-dash computer won 2010 Best of Innovations in the category of In-Vehicle Accessories. SYNC’s latest application, Traffic, Directions & Information, was honored in the category of In-Vehicle Navigation/Telematics/ITS (Intelligent Transportation System).

Here Come the Judges
Products entered in this prestigious program are judged by a preeminent panel of independent industrial designers, engineers and members of the media to honor outstanding design and
engineering in cutting-edge consumer electronics products across 36 categories.

The Innovations entries are judged based on the following criteria:

• Engineering qualities, based on technical specs and materials used
• Aesthetic and design qualities, using photos provided
• The product’s intended use/function and user value
• Unique/novel features that consumers would find attractive
• How the design and innovation of the product compares to other products in the marketplace

Enabling greater productivity for fleets, commercial customers
Ford Work Solutions is a collection of technologies created to provide Ford commercial truck and van customers with connectivity, flexibility and security to better manage their businesses. Available on Ford F-150, F-Series Super Duty, E-Series vans and the new Transit Connect, Ford Work Solutions delivers four innovative features:

• An in-dash computer developed with Magneti Marelli and powered by Microsoft Auto that provides full high-speed Internet access via the Sprint Mobile Broadband Network, Bluetooth-enabled hands-free calling and navigation by Garmin. The first broadband-capable in-dash computer in production, the system allows customers to print invoices, check inventories and access documents stored on their home or office computer networks – right on the job site. The office is now mobile.
• Tool Link™, a Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) asset tracking system developed in association with DeWALT™, the industry leader in professional power tools, and ThingMagic, the industry expert on embedded RFID technology. This technology enables customers to maintain a detailed real-time inventory of the tools or equipment stored in the pickup box.
• Crew Chief™, a fleet tracking, telematics and diagnostics system, offered with market-leading telematics specialist Microlise, provides dynamic location and performance data fleet owners need to more efficiently manage their vehicles, quickly dispatch workers to job sites, monitor driver performance for safety and economy, and keep detailed vehicle maintenance records.
• Cable Lock security system developed in association with Master Lock®, the industry-leading lock manufacturer, discourages theft of expensive tools too large to fit in the cab.

Keeping you connected
Ford SYNC’s latest application – Traffic, Directions & Information – leverages industry-leading voice-recognition software, integrated GPS technology and a customer’s Bluetooth-capable mobile phone. It provides simple hands-free access to personalized traffic reports, precise turn-by-turn driving directions and up-to-date information including business listings, news, sports and weather.

These new capabilities are in addition to SYNC’s established hallmark suite of services, from hands-free, voice-activated cell phone and digital media player integration to the more recent security and convenience additions of 911 Assist™ and Vehicle Health Report.

Introduced in 2007, more than 80 percent of the vehicles Ford sells in North America are equipped with SYNC, and more than 1 million SYNC-equipped vehicles are on the road today.

2010 International CES
Ford Work Solutions and SYNC with Traffic, Directions & Information will be on display at the 2010 International CES, which runs Jan. 7-10, 2010 in Las Vegas. The Innovations Design and Engineering Showcase will feature honorees by product category in the Grand Lobby of the Las Vegas Convention Center and they will also be featured at CES Unveiled: The Official Press Event of the International CES on Jan. 5.

Quotes
“Our customers want the latest in connectivity and technology – making their drive experience more enjoyable and convenient. We’re honored that CES has recognized our efforts in providing these customer-driven features.”
– Mark Fields, President, The Americas, Ford Motor Company

“Ford Work Solutions is just another example of how we listen to our truck customers and deliver features and technology to help them do their jobs easier and more efficiently. We’ve been the leader in the segment for 32 years by delivering real-world solutions to our customers. For example, fleets using Crew Chief have experienced increases in fuel economy in excess of 20 percent.”
– Bill Frykman, Business Development Manager for Ford Work Solutions