Ford DigiKnows – Episode #5— Stay Connected and Productive with Ford Work Solutions™ Technology

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Tuesday March 24th, 2009 - 12:00 Noon ET

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About DigiKnows #5— Stay Connected and Productive with Ford Work Solutions™ Technology

In our fifth episode on March 24th at 12:00 noon ET, Michael Collins takes a look at in-dash Ford Work Solutions technology and discovers how Ford developed a fully-integrated mobile workplace. Join in and ask your questions as Michael talks about Ford Work Solutions with Bill Frykman and Ed Pleet the business development managers for this technology.

America’s best-selling truck the Ford F-Series, as well as the Ford E-Series vans are now equipped with this industry-first collection of smart technologies. And when the all-new 2010 Ford Transit Connect comes to market this summer, the customer — small business owners — will be able to order it as well. Designed to fundamentally change the way Ford truck owners do business, Ford Work Solutions technologies literally bring the office to the job site—enhancing connectivity, flexibility, productivity and security.

Some features of Ford Work Solutions include:

• Connectivity: In-dash computer system offers high-speed Internet access, navigation tools, and hands free calling. Enables customers to access office documents, print invoices, and check inventories directly on the job site.
• Flexibility: Tool Link, with Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) provides an asset tracking system, providing a real-time inventory of tools or equipment stored in the pickup box.
• Productivity: Crew Chief, a fleet diagnostics system enables fleet owners to quickly and efficiently manage vehicles, dispatch workers, monitor driver performance and maintain up-to-date maintenance records.
• Security: Cable Lock security system, designed to discourage theft of costly, large tools that don’t fit in the cab.

The industry-exclusive technologies are available in the new 2009 Ford F-150, F-Series Super Duty trucks,2009 E-Series Vans and 2010 Transit Connect. A selection of the four features will also be available for upgrade for Ford Trucks already in service.

About Ford DigiKnows

Now you can talk to the people at Ford about what matters to you. Join us every week for Ford DigiKnows – a series of live interactive steaming video events. Each week our intrepid host, Michael Collins, takes you the behind the scenes for the scoop on all things Ford. The DigiKnow live streaming events let you talk with the experts from Ford, as they take you under the hood for a look at new and innovative Ford technologies. DigiKnows helps you uncover another side of Ford.

Links

Learn more about Ford Work Solutions

Watch the Ford DigiKnows archives

About Ford DigiKnows

Michael Collins’ biography

Ford Work Solutions™ Expands Capability and Productivity of America’s Favorite Trucks

2009 E-Series Overview

Ford Work Solutions™ Combats Tool Theft With Innovative Tool Link, Cable Lock Features

• “Most Rugged Truck” in 2009 Brand Image Award by Kelley Blue Book.
• 2009 North American Truck of the Year
• America’s safest full-size pickup with 5-star frontal and 5-star side-impact crash-test ratings, the highest possible scores, in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) tests.
• Motor Trend 2009 Truck of the Year Award™
• Top honors as “Truck of Texas” as well as “Best Luxury Pickup” for the 2009 F-150 King Ranch from Texas Auto Writers Association
• Playboy’s 2009 Best Pickup
• 2009 Best Redesigned Vehicle from Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com
• “Best Overall Half-Ton Pickup” from PickupTrucks.com
• “Automotive Excellence” award in the Workhorse Category from Popular Mechanics
• Detroit Free Press Truck of the Year
• Detroit News Truck of the Year
• “Top Safety Pick” from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for its standard safety technology: Safety Canopy side curtain air bags and AdvanceTrac with Roll Stability Control
• “Residual Value” award from Automotive Leasing Guide (ALG) for retaining the highest percentage of its original price among 2009 full-size light duty pickups at the end of a conventional three-year lease, based on ALG projections
• Motor Trend’s Truck Trend Top 5 Trucks from Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) for 2009 Ford F-150 Heavy Duty DeWalt Contractor Concept
• 2009 Consumer Guide “Best Buy” in large pickup truck category
• “Accessory-Friendly Truck” Design Award from SEMA
• F-Series is best selling vehicle in America for 27 consecutive years; best-selling truck for 32 consecutive years
• Best Truck by Florida Monthly

America’s best-selling truck the F-Series, along with Ford’s F-150, E-Series and Transit Connect Vans are soon-to-be equipped with a collection of industry-first ‘smart’ technologies. Designed to fundamentally change the way Ford truck owners do business, Ford Work Solution™ technologies are aimed at enhancing connectivity, flexibility, productivity and security.

The four affordable and innovative features bring the office to the job site, offering a fully-integrated mobile workplace. Some of the Work Solution™ highlights include:

• Connectivity: In-dash computer system offers high-speed Internet access, navigation tools, and hands free calling. Enables customers to access office documents, print invoices, and check inventories directly on the job site.
• Flexibility: Tool Link, with Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) provides an asset tracking system, providing a real-time inventory of tools or equipment stored in the pickup box.
• Productivity: Crew Chief, a fleet diagnostics system enables fleet owners to quickly and efficiently manage vehicles, dispatch workers, monitor driver performance and maintain up-to-date maintenance records.
• Security: Cable Lock security system, designed to discourage theft of costly, large tools that don’t fit in the cab.

The industry-exclusive technologies are available in the new 2009 Ford F-150, F-Series Super Duty trucks and 2009 E-Series Vans. A selection of the four features will also be available for upgrade for Ford Trucks already in service.

Quotes

“Our truck customers are smart and they work hard. Ford Work Solutions provides truck customers new technologies and tools to help them work even smarter and further boost their productivity.”
- Mark Fields, President of Ford The Americas

“Tool Link increases productivity and saves money. It helps contractors and tradespeople guarantee they show up at the job site with the right tools for each job, and that they don’t leave equipment behind.”
- William Frykman, Ford Work Solutions Product and Business Development Manager

“Secure, lockable storage is important for all customers. That’s why we (Ford) worked with Master Lock to deliver the Cable Lock, a convenient way to secure items such as toolboxes, air compressors, generators or large power tools that may need to be in the pickup box when the vehicle is parked.”
- William Frykman, Ford Work Solutions Product and Business Development Manager

Links

News Release: http://media.ford.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=29961

According to kbb.com, vehicles were chosen for this year’s list based on factors such as resale value, capability, kid-friendliness and fuel efficiency.

Kbb.com editors praised the Escape Hybrid for its improved – more powerful and more efficient – gas-electric powertrain and its fuel economy rating of 34 mpg in the city.

The Escape Hybrid is the most fuel-efficient SUV on the planet. It offers families value and versatility with five-passenger seating and plenty of storage capability.

Safe

Safety – the most important consideration for families – comes standard on the Escape Hybrid. All vehicles are equipped with a number of safety features, such as AdvanceTrac® with Roll Stability Control®, Safety Canopy™, Personal Safety System®, tire pressure monitoring system and the LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children) system for rear seating positions.

Connected

In addition to SYNC, the Escape Hybrid offers family-friendly features such as SIRIUS® Satellite Radio and Voice-Activated Navigation with SIRIUS® Travel Link™.

Environmentally Friendly

The Escape Hybrid meets strict Super Ultra Low Emission Vehicle (SULEV II) and Advanced Technology Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle (AT-PZEV) standards. The 2009 model also features new comfort-designed seats with soy-based foam and eco-friendly seat fabrics made from post-industrial 100 percent recycled materials.

Quotes

“Not only is the Ford Escape Hybrid the most fuel-efficient SUV on the planet, it also offers families the perfect combination of value and versatility. The Escape Hybrid offers the convenience and flexibility that many families need in an ultra fuel-efficient vehicle. You can fit five passengers plus a lot of cargo, such as sporting and camping equipment. It’s a fully functional SUV that happens to be a hybrid as well.”
- David Finnegan, Ford Hybrid Marketing Manager

“After undergoing a major overhaul for the 2008 model year, the Ford Escape Hybrid is improved again for 2009 with a more powerful and more efficient gas-electric powertrain. Its fuel economy rating of 34 miles per gallon is even better than that of the Toyota Camry Hybrid.”
- Jack R. Nerad, Executive Editorial Director and Executive Market Analyst, Kelley Blue Book and kbb.com

When they say “Built Ford Tough” about the all-new 2009 F-150 they aren’t just talking about brawny stuff like high strength steel. They’re also talking about cushiony features such as air bags – the kind of air bags other trucks wish they had, namely a “K-Bag”.

The all-new 2009 Ford F-150 – which features exclusive “K-bag” side air bag technology – provides better side-impact crash safety ratings than the Chevrolet Silverado and Dodge Ram, according to a new study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Special “K-bag”

Among the truck’s unmatched list of advanced standard safety features is its patented “K-bag” technology, a new front seat-mounted dual-chamber side air bag named for its unique shape, which is designed to help protect the rib cage from excessive crash forces during a side impact. This air bag is supported with a state-of-the-art side crash sensing system that uses pressure pulses from the impact to deploy the air bag 30 percent faster than a conventional system.

America’s safest full-size pickup

The F-150 earned an IIHS “Top Safety Pick” last November and quadruple 5-star government crash test ratings in January – making it the only full-size pickup to achieve both top crash-test ratings. Combined with the most standard safety features in the segment, the F-150 is America’s safest full-size pickup.

More exclusive occupant protection

Also new to the 2009 F-150 is Ford’s standard Safety Canopy® side-curtain air bag rollover protection system, which helps protect front and rear outboard passengers in both rollovers and side impact crashes. The air bag is designed to stay inflated for several seconds for additional protection in rollover crashes, which often last longer than side impact crashes.

Ford’s Personal Safety System – also a standard feature – is made up of a suite of protection technologies, including dual-stage front air bags and occupant weight classification, working together to help protect occupants.

Most sophisticated electronic stability control

The F-150’s standard offering of Ford’s industry exclusive AdvanceTrac® with RSC® (Roll Stability Control™) also met a newer requirement that vehicles must offer electronic stability control to earn IIHS’s top rating. The system is the world’s most sophisticated electronic stability control, helping prevent skidding and rollovers. It goes a step beyond typical stability control systems with a gyroscopic roll sensor that determines both the vehicle’s body roll angle and roll rate.

Lighter, tougher structure

The F-150’s safety leadership also is built on the solid structure that underpins the truck’s legendary “Built Ford Tough” durability and capability. The truck has an all-new hydroformed steel front end – including use of tubular ultra high-strength, lighter weight steel that contributes to its unsurpassed fuel economy in the full-size pickup truck segment.

The North American Truck of the Year award recognizes vehicles based on factors including innovation, design, safety, handling, driver satisfaction and value for the dollar. Fifty automotive journalists in the United States and Canada vote for the vehicles, which must be “all-new” or “substantially changed” from the previous model to qualify for the award.

The 2009 F-150 is new inside and out. The Ford truck team adopted a holistic, 360-degree approach to revamping the vehicle – from its segment-first features to the tough new exterior highlighted by a dramatic three-bar grille and more spacious, flexible and refined interior, to the unparalleled choice of cab styles and trim levels.

The prestigious award comes hot on the heels of the 2009 F-150 being named 2009 Motor Trend Truck of the Year™ and the “Truck of Texas” by the Texas Auto Writers Association in addition to a number of other awards and accolades.

Quotes

“Winning 2009 North America Truck of the Year honors is a special distinction because it acknowledges the team’s efforts to push harder and deliver even more for customers – including quality, safety leadership, unsurpassed fuel economy and smart features aimed at further improving their productivity. Ultimately, though, this award is a nod to true truck customers, who have inspired us to deliver America’s favorite pickup for 32 straight years.”
- Mark Fields, Ford’s President of The Americas

Look out! The all-new 2009 Ford F-150 is even tougher than previously thought. Motor Trend’s Truck of the Year™ recently became America’s safest full-size pickup by earning 5-star frontal and side-impact ratings in National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) crash tests, as well as the “Top Safety Pick” award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Oh yeah, it also boasts an unmatched list of advanced standard safety features.

Tradeoffs? Not with the F-150, which has the best combined safety, capability and fuel economy ratings of any other half-ton truck thanks to advanced lightweight materials… breaking the myth that stronger vehicles are less efficient.

On a roll: The new F-150 led Ford’s F-Series lineup to a 32nd straight year of truck sales leadership in 2008. F-Series finished the year with 50,448 more unit sales than its nearest competitor. In addition, for the 27th year in a row, F-Series is once again America’s best-selling vehicle of any type. That’s right – including cars, crossovers, SUVs, trucks or vans. Since the all-new 2009 F-150 went on sale in October 2008, F-Series has actually gained market share, increasing from 31 percent of the full-size truck market in the first nine months to 37 percent in the fourth quarter.

The Toughest Truck

The F-150’s safety leadership is built on the solid structure that underpins the truck’s legendary “Built Ford Tough” durability and capability. The new truck has an all-new hydroformed steel front end – including use of tubular ultra-high-strength lighter weight steel that contributes to its unsurpassed fuel economy in the full-size pickup truck segment.

New to the 2009 F-150 is Ford’s standard Safety Canopy® side-curtain air bag rollover protection system, which helps protect front and rear outboard passengers in both rollovers and side-impact crashes. The air bag is designed to stay inflated for several seconds for additional protection in rollover crashes, which often last longer than side-impact crashes.

Ford’s Personal Safety System is made up of a suite of protection technologies, including dual-stage front air bags and occupant weight classification, working together to help protect occupants. Added to this is a Ford first – the new “K-bag,” a front seat dual-chamber side air bag named for its unique shape, which is designed to help protect the rib cage from excessive crash forces during a side impact.

Towing Safety and Convenience

The new F-150 has standard safety and towing aid technologies – including Advance Trac® with Roll Stability Control™ (RSC®), a first for the F-150 – that help customers more confidently use the truck’s segment-leading towing and hauling capability. The Ford-exclusive stability control system uses a gyroscopic sensor that uniquely helps detect and prevent both skidding and rollovers.

The system offers as standard integrated Trailer Sway Control technology, which helps determine from the yaw motion of the truck if the trailer is swaying and takes measures to help bring it under control. An available Integrated Trailer Brake Controller technology allows direct operation of the trailer’s electronic brakes with more confidence than typical aftermarket systems.

Tow Haul Mode changes shift points under acceleration, keeping the truck at a higher rpm and further up in the power range to improve the towing experience by avoiding unnecessary shifts in rolling terrain. The technology also prevents the transmission from shifting up in gear when the vehicle crests a hill, and provides downhill brake support that allows the transmission to downshift, letting engine-compression braking slow the vehicle and maintain a steady speed.

When Ford Motor Company set out to redesign the F-150 – the 2009 Motor Trend Truck of the YearTM and the best selling pickup of the past 31 years – the truck team knew it wanted to improve fuel efficiency. Even before fuel economy jumped from 10th to third place among pickup buyers’ top purchase considerations, the design team knew it needed to deliver a substantial improvement over the outgoing model, without sacrificing any capability.

The ‘Black Art’ of Aerodynamics

While Ford’s truck engineering team worked to make fuel efficiency gains through powertrain performance and weight reduction, the design team focused on what some designers call the “black art” of aerodynamics.

The new F-150 4×4 is now best-in-class for aerodynamics and unsurpassed fuel economy in its segment. The new F-150 SuperCrew 4X4 with a 5.5-foot box has the lowest coefficient of drag – 0.416 – of comparable configurations. That’s 6 percent lower than a comparable 2008 F-150.

The 2009 F-150 has a fleet-wide fuel economy improvement of 8 percent versus the 2008 model. For trucks equipped with the 5.4-liter V-8 engine, fuel economy improves by as much as 12 percent. At the same time, the new F-150 delivers class-leading towing capability of 11,300 pounds and hauling capacity of 3,030 pounds – a combination no other competitor can match.

Unsurpassed Fuel Economy in a Pickup

In addition, Ford is announcing the introduction of the new F-150 SFE (Superior Fuel Economy) edition delivering up to 21 miles per gallon on the highway while still providing 7,500 pounds of towing capability – fuel economy that is unsurpassed in the full-size pickup segment.

Improved from Front to Back

Key aero improvements for the new F-150 include:

• A new chamfered shape to the rear of the cab, which incorporated the center-high-mount stop lamp. This shape helps direct aerodynamic wake over the pickup box efficiently.
• The top of the tailgate, which angles outward to create a bold lip. This wider surface at the top of the tailgate works with the cab chamfering to direct airflow over the box efficiently.
• The front bumper valence and spoiler design, which has been improved to better manage airflow underneath the truck without compromising off-road driving capability.

Other areas that Ford’s truck designers focused included the grille opening, running board, side mirrors and doors. Conventional wisdom suggests that a grille opening needs to be large to maximize air flow to the radiator, but the size of the grille opening on the new F-150 was optimized to allow enough air into the radiator while blocking the excess to minimize drag. In addition, designers shaped the running board and side mirrors and inset the doors to minimize wind noise and drag.

The 2009 F-150 bests its competitors in a series of rigorous tests that evaluated the pickup’s engineering, technology, design, safety, dynamics, performance, build quality and value.

This marks the third consecutive time an all-new F-150 has received the Motor Trend Truck of the Year Award. Previously, the 2004 and 1997 redesigned Ford F-150 models received the magazine’s prestigious award.

Click here to view the full list of awards.

Quotes

“The new F-150 is a thorough, thoughtful upgrade of a highly successful formula. The 2009 model improves on the core attributes that have made the F-150 a best seller for decades, ensuring it will remain a strong player in the segment despite the challenging economic environment.”
- Angus MacKenzie, Editor-in-Chief, Motor Trend

“Motor Trend’s awards over the years are a validation of what has been the key to our success: listening to customers, anticipating their needs and providing them with innovative solutions and features before they ask for them. Our goal with each redesign is to top the last one, and we’re doing that with the 2009 F150.”
- Matt O’Leary, F-150 Chief Engineer

“Motor Trend editors used our truck the way our customers do – by putting it through extremely tough tests. This award is so meaningful to us because it means so much to our customers. Motor Trend Truck of the Year is one of the most recognized automotive awards by consumers, and Ford is extremely proud to receive it.”
- Derrick Kuzak, Group Vice President, Global Product Development

New inside and out, the iconic F-150 truck features a new high-strength, lighter-weight chassis, more horsepower, unsurpassed fuel economy and class-leading towing and payload capacity.

In addition to the recognition from Kelley Blue Book’s KBB.com, the 2009 F-150 has received numerous accolades for its design, safety technology, affordability and performance.

Click here to view the full list of awards.

Quotes
“I just really like this truck. I think it’s the sheer power of it that’s so impressive. It’s such an important truck in the market; it’s so important to Ford and to the domestic auto industry in general. There are so many variations, and so many innovations. In some ways, the F-150 is more than a truck – it’s a work system.”
- Jack R. Nerad, Executive Editorial Director and Executive Market Analyst for Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com