Ford plans to demo MyFord Mobile app at CES

Anthony Domanico — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 13:59:35 +0000

Back at CES2011, Ford announced that it would be releasing an electric version of their popular Ford Focus entry level sedan, and in November put the Focus Electric up for preorder at a whopping $39,200. Though cars usually don’t grace our site all too often, the Ford Focus Electric will feature MyFord Mobile smartphone integration through the MyFord Mobile application which Ford should preview at CES next week.

So what can a smartphone application do for your vehicle, you ask? MyFord Mobile will display the current battery status and vehicle range, display locations of charging stations near you, adjust climate settings, help plan navigation routes, and serve your usage statistics on social media sites.

We’ll try to stop by Ford’s booth next week to show off all that MyFord Mobile can do, for now you can check out the hands-on video at the end of this post. Anyone out there actually planning on picking up a Focus Electric? I must admit that I’m more than a bit tempted, especially since it allows my smartphone to control my smartcar. Maybe the CES crew will score me a review unit? Here’s hoping.

Android Races To Tesla Motors? Updated With Video

Christopher Earle — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 13:00:27 +0000

If you have followed the automotive industry, either from the standpoint of an environmentalist or from the standpoint of a car enthusiast, you are likely aware of Tesla Motors. If you haven’t, Tesla is the California based car company currently producing an all-electric sports car, the Tesla Roadster, capable of giving virtually any gasoline powered super car a run for its money. If specifications like 0-60 in under for seconds and a maximum speed, because of a factory installed limiter, or 125 MPH don’t get you, how about zero emissions and an estimated cost to drive of $0.01 per mile with a range of around 240 miles? The Roadster is reputed to be one of the most fun cars to drive and sells for an incredibly reasonable $109,000 for all that performance.

Tesla Model S

What about its weaknesses? It is a two seater and the price. Tesla has announced a four door sedan that seats up to seven passengers that is expected to sell for around $50,000. With extended range and luxury features like a 17” LCD touch screen in the dash, it may be the car to launch Tesla from a small startup funded by the likes of Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin. That brings us to why we are covering the Tesla.

Reports have surfaced that the operating system behind the 17” touch screen is Android. That makes a lot of sense considering that Google’s founders are investors in Tesla. Android also makes sense because of what the LCD display will be used for. Driving directions will be available via an integrated GPS and Google Maps. The car will support full 3G connectivity. Information on local businesses, like restaurants and clubs, will be available on the monitor. It will also be Bluetooth enabled.

Does this sound like a very fast, very comfortable cell phone that can seat seven and do 0-60 in 5.6 seconds? It does to me. In all likelihood, the 3G features would be available from a variety of cellular carriers, much like an unlocked cell phone. By the time the car is in production, 3G networks will be much more widespread and robust. Android will be a much more mature and feature-rich operating system. It makes incredible sense for one of the first production zero emission family cars to use an Open Source operating system produced by one of their major investors.

Update: I just found this video preview of the Tesla Model S on Twitter.

Tesla Model S hands-on from Ryan Block on Vimeo.

Paying a visit to the Menlo Park Tesla dealership for a one-day-only opportunity to check out (and sit in) their new all-electric Model S sedan.

Is 50k really that much for a state of the art car?

Tesla Model S

Android and Me » electric car

Ford plans to demo MyFord Mobile app at CES

Android Races To Tesla Motors? Updated With Video