Source: Internet
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Camping in a Ford Model T
Long before there was a motel in every town folks who traveled by car had to make do with whatever comforts they could carry in the primitive automobiles of the day. Normally that meant sleeping on the ground with, at best, protection from a canvas cover attached to the side of the vehicle. A few innovators went a step further, turning the car into a mobile bedroom. Henry Ford's remarkably versatile Model T lent itself to such conversions, becoming the first wheeled "camper" since the covered wagon. The car above, which caught my attention at the Model T 100th Centennial in Richmond, Indiana this year, is a charming example. It got the occupants off the ground, provided basic shelter, and included storage space for bedding, pots and pans, and the various paraphenalia needed when camping away from normal conveniences. Just to prove how practical it may have been in its time, the owners actually slept in their Model T en route to the event.
Source: Internet
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Best Buy, Not Dealerships, To Oversee Ford Focus Electric Home Chargers
The 220-volt home-charging stations that make electric-car ownership a lot easier—and possible, for heavy commuters—are admittedly more like home appliances than traditional auto accessories.
But it's still a bit surprising that Ford [NYSE: F] has chosen Best Buy, rather than its dealerships, to supervise deployment and installation of home charging stations for the 2012 Ford Focus Electric, which was officially revealed in production form today at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.
In a move that makes sense but might keep customers from seeking help from the Ford dealership as much as they otherwise might, Best Buy is also handling warranty and repair for the charging station. Focus Electric owners will be able to purchase the stations through 1,200 Best Buy stores across the U.S. or through the Best Buy website, then the retailer's Geek Squad service and support crew will schedule an electrical audit and professional installation.
Unlike the charging station for the 2011 Nissan Leaf, the Ford charging station won't be a permanent home installation; it plugs into a 240-volt drier-style outlet and can be removed when needed—such as when the owner moves.
Ford has said that with the 240-volt, charging system, permitting the system's 32-amp maximum capability, the Focus Electric will charge fully in as little as three to four hours—about half the time of the Nissan Leaf. That comes thanks to the 6.6-kW on-board charger.
The price for the home charger, at $1,499 with a standard installation, is also substantially less than that of the Nissan Leaf.
When the connector is plugged into the Focus Electric's charge port, a light ring illuminates to show a proper connection, then the ring lights up in quadrants to show the approximate stage of charge completion.
The Focus Electric, which goes on sale late this calendar year, will offer enough range to satisfy the needs of most driving Americans, Ford says, and is emphasizing the driving experience more than Nissan has with the Leaf. Top speed for the Focus Electric, in final specs revealed at CES, is 84 mph.
This isn't the first time Best Buy's name has been mentioned at CES. GM's OnStar just announced the other day that its hardware would be available for purchase for non-GM vehicles at the electronics retailer's stores.
Source: Internet
2012 Ford Focus ST
Hot hatches, how we love thee. Punchy, pint-sized, yet utilitarian and able to fly (just) under the radar, these do-it-all wonders never cease to please. The 2012 Ford Focus ST is no exception, and this video even treats us to a bit of turbo spool action.
As B-roll footage, it's not particularly exciting, but it does give us yet another look at the car, and this time it's actually moving.
Source: Internet
2012 Ford Focus Electric Live Unveiling At 2011 Detroit Auto Show
Ford’s Volt and Leaf rival has been revealed, making its world debut last week at the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas and then reappearing again this week at the 2011 Detroit Auto Show. We are, of course, talking about the 2012 Ford Focus Electric, the Blue Oval’s first mass-produced electric car and possibly the pick of the bunch out of the Ford-GM-Nissan trio.
Below is a video of the new model’s unveiling in Detroit this week, with Ford’s product chief Derrick Kuzak and chairman Bill Ford touting all of its benefits.
Source: Internet
2012 Ford Focus EV Prototype
Ford Focus EV
Plug-in electric cars are the next frontier for green car buyers. Hybrids like the 2010 Toyota Prius and 2010 Honda Insight will duke it out this year, but you can't charge them up from wall current.
GM has been promoting its plans for the 2011 Chevrolet Volt, a plug-in car with an auxiliary engine, for more than two years. In January, Ford startled the Detroit Auto Show by saying it would offer a fully electric Focus in 2011.
Now we've had a chance to drive a development version of that car, which is engineered by supplier Magna, which will also build several thousand copies of the car to be sold at Ford dealers.
We were particularly impressed with the refinement and lack of noise. Most development vehicles haven't been tweaked by noise-vibration-harshness (NVH) engineers, so they squeak, roar, whine, clunk, or howl. The Focus EV may be the most exemplary mule we've driven.
Ford Focus EV - the power electronics sit above the electric motor
Electric cars generate their highest torque from 0 rpm, and the Focus's motor was able to spin the inside front wheel when accelerating hard around a corner. The brakes were nicely integrated, with no noticeable transition between regenerative braking and the friction brakes.
The Bottom Line:
For a development 'mule', this thing feels like it could have rolled off a production line. We couldn't take the car out on freeways, but the car felt showroom-ready in low-speed testing around the roads and parking lots of DisneyWorld (top speed: 30 mph).
Source: Internet
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