Friday, 29 March 2013

INTRODUCING THE 2014 SPARK ELECTRIC VEHICLE




Battery Warranty


8/100K
yr/miles

0-60 in less than


8
seconds

Interior Volume


86.3
cubic feet

Battery


20kWh
lithium-ion

PURE. ELECTRIC. FUN.

Be electric in the all-new 2014 Spark EV. Put gas stations in your rearview mirror, live outside the boundaries of bus schedules and finally explore the world beyond the last train stop while enjoying class-leading electric vehicle range. Drive gas- and emissions-free with instant power and surprising performance. Brace yourself for the thrill of 0-60 mph in under 8 seconds. Finally, a pure electric car that delivers all the ride drivers crave. With a finely tuned ride along with instant torque, you’ll catch yourself smiling every inch of every city mile. Have Spark EV questions or comments? Call customer support at 855-SPARKTALK (855-772-7582).

TECHNOLOGY

Be electric

The all-new 2014 Spark EV features a lithium-ion battery that offers gas- and emissions-free power and performance. This electric mini car utilizes some of the same cutting-edge electric power technology proven in the Chevrolet Volt, the best-selling rechargeable car of the year. Spark EV includes regenerative braking, which captures energy that would otherwise be lost while braking, decelerating or going downhill. It also offers liquid thermal conditioning, which maximizes its performance in extreme weather conditions. This guarantees the best performance from the battery and ensures its longevity. And the battery is backed by an 8-year/100,000-mile limited warranty.

Get ready for takeoff

Spark EV features an innovative electric propulsion system drive unit paired with the lithium-ion battery. This mini car has big bite and boasts instant torque. The connection is direct: head, right foot, power, pavement. Without the traditional transmission, torque has nowhere to go except to the tires and road. This helps explain why Spark EV feels so powerful and exhilarating while also achieving 0 to 60 mph in under eight seconds. Tuned specifically for its electric propulsion system, Spark EV puts power in all the right places at the moment it’s needed for a sporty and responsive ride. And Spark EV features a turning radius of 32.6 feet, which beats out the Mini Cooper, so parallel parking in the city is seamless and simple.

Charge it up

Charging is easy peasy in the 2014 Spark EV. Just plug Spark EV into a standard household 120V outlet, or for a faster charge, opt for the available 240V dedicated charging system that charges up the battery in just seven hours. Have it installed wherever you park your Spark EV so you can charge at night and be good to go by morning. Professional installation is required, so visit SPX Service Solutions for more information. And Spark EV will offer an available out-of-home charging option. Get charged up by the first SAE combo DC fast-charging stations that will charge the battery to 80 percent in just 20 minutes. The future of electric charging stations is coming in late Summer 2013, and Spark EV is ready.

Instant feedback

Spark EV gives you instant digital feedback through a 7-inch diagonal high-resolution, full-color, configurable LCD screen in the Driver Information Center to help you get the most out of every kilowatt. Keep an eye on battery charge and how energy is being used and created. Get an accurate picture of your estimated range based on your personal driving style. You can even enhance efficiency and have a ball doing it with the Efficiency Gauge. One of the greatest factors in getting the most out of each charge is driving style, so simply keep the green ball in the center of the gauge and enjoy optimal battery efficiency.

INTERIOR







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Spacious and stylish

The interior balances a flowing, spacious design with a get-up-and-go spirit. Features like bright electric blue color accents, chrome and available leatherette mix with a sporty cockpit vibe complete with a motorcycle-inspired instrument cluster. And with 86.3 cubic feet of passenger space, the Spark EV offers more room for comfort than both the Ford Fiesta and Fiat 500. Seat four comfortably or cart your stuff around. Fold down the rear seat and have a full 23.4 cubic feet of storage space for almost anything you need to bring with you like groceries, camping gear or golf clubs.

Quiet inside and out

Because it’s electric, Spark EV is surprisingly quiet on the outside, but due to the interior’s extensive refinement along with sealing and insulation, it’s shockingly quiet on the inside too. This keen attention to detail went into every inch of the Spark EV interior helping to create a comfortable and enjoyable ride. Get in and leave the city noise behind.

EXTERIOR

Go with the flow

Similar to the Chevrolet Volt, Spark EV features a prominent closed upper grille and an automatic shutter system to reduce drag and guide airflow around the vehicle. Full-length underbody panels help reduce drag while wheel deflectors and an integrated rear spoiler carry airflow around and away from the car. Its lean, muscular design put to work aerodynamically and, in the end, helps Spark EV splice through the air with the greatest of ease.






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Aggressively stylish

Global collaboration between designers and engineers resulted in a mini car with a fiercely dramatic exterior design. Its grounded, confident stance gives Spark EV an energetic and confident appearance while accentuated headlamps and 15-inch wheels set it apart. Hidden rear door handles create a seamless look carried by dynamic lines across the body to the rear spoiler. Choose from five sleek exterior colors: Summit White, Silver Ice, Electric Blue, Titanium and Black Granite (an extra-cost color). City street beautification begins with Spark EV.

SAFETY

Our top priority: you

At Chevrolet, the safety of drivers and their passengers is a top priority. That’s why every Spark EV comes with technology that helps you stay in control, like the StabiliTrak®Electronic Stability Control System, which helps you stay on track on slippery surfaces. There’s even Hill Start Assist that helps with those steep inclines by holding the vehicle in place for a second after the brake is released to help you keep moving forward.
In the event of a collision, safety features like 10 standard air bags help protect you and your passengers. Crucial information can be instantly relayed to the OnStar®Command Center via the OnStar Automatic Crash Response system. At the Command Center, trained Advisors utilize GPS technology to pinpoint your exact location and can request that help be sent right away – even if you’re unable to respond. As all of this is happening, they’re in constant contact, reassuring you and updating you on the status of the situation. It’s part of OnStar Directions & Connections® Plan, standard for the first three years on every Spark EV.

  

Thursday, 28 March 2013

FordTechnology Pushing the boundaries of what a vehicle can do


Drive Connected
SYNC® and SYNC® with MyFord Touch®

  • Hands-free entertainment, communications and more.27

SYNC® and SYNC® with MyFord Touch®

SYNC® is all about staying in touch, staying entertained, staying informed and staying reassured. All with simple voice commands27. Never miss a phone call with hands-free calling. Have incoming text messages read aloud to you. Browse and play whatever you want to hear from your audio library with simple voice commands. With SYNC Services® 129, you can get audible turn-by-turn directions, personalized news, stocks, and sports scores. And get the peace of mind that comes with 911 Assist®, which can call for help if you're in an accident in which the airbag deploys28.
And now with available SYNC® with MyFord Touch®, you can personalize your driving experience from entertainment to climate with simple voice commands, intuitive touch screen controls or customizable cluster screens controlled by steering wheel-mounted buttons.

Drive Assured
Torque Vectoring Control

  • Brake force is applied to the front inside wheel.

Confidence in the corners.

Thanks to Torque Vectoring Control, your drive will be nothing short of exhilarating. Torque Vectoring Control hugs the road while accelerating through a corner by adjusting the speed between the front wheels. This enhances cornering agility and reduces understeer.

Style & Convenience
Hands-free Liftgate

  • Opening the power liftgate is as simple as kicking your foot under the bumper.

Makes loading and unloading that much easier.

There's nothing like hands-free access when your hands are full. You can avoid going through the hassle of searching for keys or stopping to put your packages down. With the available hands-free liftgate and Intelligent Access key on you, just kick your foot under the bumper and the power liftgate can automatically open, providing easy access to the cargo area.

Smart Performance
Active Grille Shutters

  • When the Active Grille Shutters are fully closed, aerodynamics are improved by roughly 6%. 0:22
  • Active Grille Shutters in the open position.

Decreased air resistance. Increased fuel efficiency.

Available Active Grille Shutters close to reduce the aerodynamic drag on the vehicle caused by air traveling through the radiator. This results in increased fuel efficiency. The shutters open only when the engine needs cooling.

Style & Convenience
Multicontour Seats

  • Available multicontour front seats with Active Motion® feature seat-bottom and lumbar air cushions. 0:26
  • The contour of the seat back and seat bottom changes to help reduce fatigue.

Reduce fatigue while you drive.

Who hasn't felt achy and fatigued after sitting in a car for a long time? Now, with available multicontour front seats with Active Motion®, you don't have to. This system helps reduce muscle-fatigue in your legs and lower back by using a subtle rolling-pattern massage. For added comfort, the driver can customize the seven air chambers in the seat back and seat bottom.

Style & Convenience
MyFord Mobile

  • MyFord Mobile uses the Ford cloud-computing service to provide vehicle information directly to you.
  • Smart phone interface keeps you updated on battery status.
  • MyFord Mobile provides trip planning without guesswork.

Manage charging, plan trips and more.

Wondering how far you can go on a charge? Need to find a charging station? It's all at your fingertips via MyFord® Mobile*. Precise trip calculation is available, including estimated range and charging time recommendations.
You can use your smartphone or Web portal for up-to-the-minute access to vehicle information, as well as activating remote-controlled functions, including locking/unlocking doors and vehicle climate preconditioning.

* Available early 2013

Style & Convenience
SmartGauge® with EcoGuide

  • EcoGuide shows when you drive efficiently by growing virtual leaves.

Displays real-time fuel efficiency.

Style and innovation converge with this colorful and informative instrument cluster. Two high-resolution, full-color liquid crystal display (LCD) screens on either side of the analog speedometer, display various levels of vehicle information.
A built-in tutorial lets you choose the level of information you want – Inform, Enlighten, Engage or Empower – and explains your options within each.
EcoGuide uses a display of virtual leaves and vines to gauge your driving efficiency. The display grows leaves when you drive efficiently. More leaves = more mpg.

Learn more about Ford EV technology at plugintoford.com

Regenerative Braking System

  • Advanced braking hardware that captures energy.
  • 90% of braking energy is used to help charge the battery.

Turn everyday braking into energy.

Here's a concept – every time you stop your car, you're helping it to go. The Regenerative Braking System captures energy during vehicle braking and uses it to recharge the battery pack. The system can recover more than 90% of braking energy normally lost through friction brakes.

Learn more about Ford EV technology at plugintoford.com

*Available on 2012 Fusion Hybrid2013 Fusion Energi2013 Fusion Hybrid2013 C-MAX Energi2013 C-MAX Hybrid and 2013 Focus Electric.

Smart Performance
SecuriCode Keyless Entry

  • Simply enter your security code to unlock the doors and trunk of your vehicle. No keys required.

Get in and get started without fumbling for keys.

You'll never again have to fumble for keys in your pocket or purse. With the SecuriCode Keyless Entry Keypad, you just enter the programmed five-digit code into the driver's-side keypad and you're in. This feature also comes in really handy when you've accidentally locked your keys inside the vehicle. The next-generation keypad features a contemporary new design. On some vehicles, it's been moved from the driver's-side door to the exterior B-pillar. The keypad features the latest in touch-sensitive technology, similar to what's found on the iPod® and the iPhone®.* In keeping with its sleek, modern look, the keypad remains discreetly hidden until you activate it.

Safe and Secure
Terrain Management System

  • Shift on the fly into one of four settings to match the terrain you're driving on. 1:26
  • Select the conditions you're driving on: Normal, Mud/Ruts, Sand or Grass/Gravel/Snow.

Get the most out of your four-wheel drive.

The optional Terrain Management System on 2011 Explorer allows you to easily shift on the fly into one of four settings to match the terrain you're driving on:
Normal - biases torque to the front wheels and sends it to the rear only as needed
Mud/Ruts - switches the throttle to a more aggressive mode, limits upshifting and desensitizes stability control, allowing the tires to spin as needed
Sand - the throttle throws maximum torque to the wheels, placing the transmission in lower gears for as long as possible, which allows the wheels to spin aggressively
Grass/Gravel/Snow - places the throttle in a setting to minimize wheelslip

Drive Assured
Adaptive Cruise Control

  • You can be alerted to a potential collision with the vehicle in front of you. 0:24
  • Select the distance you want to keep from the vehicle in front of you and it's automatically maintained. 0:28
  • The heads-up display on the windshield provides an alert if there's a potential collision detected with the vehicle in front of you.

Plus Collision Warning.

The technology in the available Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) takes you a major step beyond the cruise control feature you've been accustomed to using. Activate ACC by selecting a cruising speed and the distance you want to maintain from the vehicle in front of you. When ACC detects traffic slowing down, your vehicle automatically slows to maintain the distance you've set. When traffic clears, your vehicle resumes at the pre-set speed. Included with ACC is Collision Warning with Brake Support. This feature is designed to alert you if it senses a potential collision with the vehicle in front of you. A "heads-up" display, simulating brake lights, flashes on the windshield. If you don't react and a collision is imminent, the brakes will pre-charge and increase brake assist sensitivity, to provide full responsiveness when you brake.

Style and Convenience
Ambient Lighting

  • You can choose an interior lighting scheme to match your mood. Or create a new one.
  • A new experience every time you drive. Select from Ice Blue, Soft Blue, Orange, Red, Green, Blue or Purple.

Choose the color. Create the mood.

With available ambient lighting from Ford, you get to choose the color you want. Feeling blue? Your interior lighting can reflect your mood. Select from Ice Blue, Soft Blue, Orange, Red, Green, Blue and Purple.

Style and Convenience
Capless Fuel Filler

  • No gas cap required. Simply insert the fuel nozzle to fill up. 0:16

Easy Fuel® Capless Fuel Filler

The Easy Fuel® capless fuel filler has an integrated spring-loaded door that allows you to simply insert the fuel nozzle into the tank to fill up. No screw cap is required. The Easy Fuel capless fuel filler automatically seals after the fuel nozzle is removed.

Safe and Secure
MyKey®

  • See how MyKey technology helps young drivers make smart decisions. 0:41
  • You control the maximum speed of your vehicle with MyKey.
  • Maximum speed setting of MyKey engaged and displayed in instrument cluster.

It keeps an eye on teenage drivers when you're not there.

MyKey® is an innovative system that can encourage your young son or daughter to drive more responsibility - and safely. MyKey ensures that important safety features remain on. For example, the Beltminderwarning will continue to chime and the audio system sound volume will remain muted until the safety belts are buckled. MyKey can be set to place limits on speed (to 80 miles per hour) and maximum volume of the audio system volume (to 45%). The low fuel light comes on sooner (75 miles to empty instead of 50). The few minutes it takes to program a MyKey ignition key through the vehicle's message center will bring you hours of additional peace of mind.

Style and Convenience
MyColor®

  • You choose the color. Ambient Lighting and MyColor® gives you 125 different hues to work with. Available on the 2012 Mustang.
  • Ambient Lighting and MyColor®, available on the 2012 Mustang, lets you illuminate your car's interior with 125 custom colors.

Choose from 125 cool colors.

Ambient Lighting and MyColor®, optional on the 2011 Mustang, lets you set the interior lighting just the way you like it. The ambient lighting optional feature lets you choose from seven colors - Ice Blue, Orange, Soft Blue, Red, Green, Blue and Purple. Ambient Lighting illuminates the front and rear footwells, cupholders, doors and the "M U S T A N G" in the aluminum door sills. Optional MyColor® creates 125 custom colors by mixing the red-green-blue palette. You select the color that illuminates the gauge cluster background and the cluster "halo" lighting.

Style and Convenience
Sony® Audio with HD Radio

  • See how 390 watts of power and 12 high-quality Sony speakers transform your drive into a sensory experience. 0:33
  • Enjoy interference-free theater-quality sound from genres you may never have even heard of. No subscription required.

More clarity. More channels. More enjoyment.

Available HD Radio technology delivers AM and FM stations without the audio distortion, pops, static and hiss that you get from a traditional analog signal. That means AM sounds like FM and FM sounds like a CD. HD Radio also delivers more musical genres - everything from reggae to bluegrass to new alternative. Plus you get all the latest news and sports. All subscription free. Thousands of radio stations are currently broadcasting in HD and more than a thousand new extra local FM HD2 and HD3 channels are also available.

Drive Assured
Rear View Camera

  • Available rear view camera - just another way Ford is looking out for you.

Help avoid mishaps in reverse.

With the help of an available rear view camera, you can navigate backing up with confidence, hitch a trailer with ease and even master parallel parking.
A wide-angle video image showing the vehicle's projected path, in colored lines, is displayed in the rearview mirror, or on the center stack display, if so equipped.

Drive Assured
BLIS® with Cross-Traffic Alert

  • BLIS® (Blind Spot Information System) can detect and alert you to vehicles entering your blind spot. 0:41
  • Blind spot warnings are displayed in the appropriate sideview mirror.

It monitors your blind spots.

Ford offers cutting-edge technology in the available BLIS® (Blind Spot Information System) with cross-traffic alert to help make driving convenient. BLIS® is designed to use radar at the rear of the vehicle in the rear quarter panels to help detect a vehicle in a blind-spot zone. If a vehicle is detected, the system alerts you with a warning light in the appropriate sideview mirror. Cross-traffic alert uses radar to detect vehicles approaching from the sides when you're slowly backing out of a parking spot or driveway. When it detects vehicles approaching from up to 45 feet away, it sends an audible warning and a visual display in the corresponding mirror and a signal in the message center.

Smart Performance
Automatic Start-Stop System*

  • A simple way to help save fuel.

Stops and restarts the engine to conserve fuel.

This available system helps conserve fuel and reduce emissions by turning the engine off when the vehicle comes to a complete stop and the brakes are applied. The engine instantly restarts when the brakes are released. All electrical equipment remains functional while the engine is off and enhanced components to the starting system help ensure long-term durability.*Only available on the Fusion 1.6L EcoBoost® with an automatic transmission.

Drive Assured
Active Park Assist

  • Once a parking spot is located, your vehicle virtually parallel parks itself. 0:37

Hassle-free parallel parking.

Dread the thought of having to parallel park your vehicle? Fear no more. With available active park assist, you simply push a button and activate your turn signal. Active park assist will search for available parking spaces. Once a spot is located, your vehicle parallel parks with just a few simple steps on your part.

Safe and Secure
Trailer Sway Control

  • Trailer sway control in Super Duty® takes automatic corrective actions to help bring your vehicle and trailer under control. 0:25
  • When you are towing, trailer sway control helps you maintain control of both the vehicle and the trailer. 0:21

What you're pulling won't pull you.

Our trailer sway control feature works with AdvanceTrac® with Roll Stability Control (RSC®), using the sensor that measures yaw motion to determine if the trailer is swaying. If necessary, trailer sway control applies precise asymmetric braking or adjusted engine torque to help bring both vehicle and trailer under control.*

Smart Performance
Gasoline Technology

  • The 5.0L V8 Mustang GT engine will pin you in your seat with 412 horsepower** and 390 lb.-ft. of torque. 1:51

Variable cam timing adds power and efficiency.

Introducing the newest powertrain innovation from Ford: twin independent variable camshaft timing (Ti-VCT).
Unlike traditional camshafts, whose timing is fixed during manufacturing, Ti-VCT technology enables camshafts to be slightly rotated, allowing each camshaft to be "advanced" or "retarded." This adds an extra measure of precision, contributing to fuel efficiency or power output, as conditions demand. The electronic control module gives each intake and exhaust camshaft the ability to adjust independently of the other; traditional VCT engines operate only on the intake cam.
Ti-VCT technology helps Mustang deliver an amazing 31 mpg highway for the V6 and 26 mpg highway for the V8.*
The Ti-VCT even does a better job of controlling the emission of oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and hydrocarbons (HC), which means it can help to reduce atmospheric pollution.
2011 Mustang 3.7L V6 and 5.0-liter V8 - When compared with non-VCT engines, the Ti-VCT helps improve peak power; provides gains in low-speed torque, including passing and merging performance; and optimizes cold-start operation.
Ti-VCT engine technology is also available on the 2011 F-150, Edge, Explorer, Fiesta and 2012 Focus.

Smart Performance
Diesel

  • Watch trailer sway control in action on the 2011 Super Duty®. 2:45
  • Mike Rowe talks about the technology that goes into the new 6.7L Power Stroke® V8 in the 2011 Super Duty®. 0:52
  • See how far the 2011 Super Duty® can go on three gallons of diesel fuel. 2:60
  • Learn why torque and power are so important when you're towing a heavy trailer. 3:05
  • Who has the louder engine - the Super Duty® or Silverado? Mike Rowe provides the answer. 0:43

Best-in-class torque and fuel economy.*

The 6.7L Power Stroke® V8 Turbo Diesel is the most powerful engine ever in a Super Duty® with more horsepower and torque than ever. In fact, the 2011 diesel engine has 11 percent more peak horsepower and 12 percent more peak torque than the 2010 diesel engine. Despite its power, it's quieter than you could have ever imagined. And the Turbo Diesel is designed to accept B20 fuel - 20% biodiesel mixed with 80% petrodiesel.
Ford engineers have designed this engine to do everything Super Duty®owners need it to do, and that includes providing reliable service for hundreds of thousands of miles.