Is Your City Ready for Electric Vehicles?

Be prepared: It’s the motto of the Boy Scouts, but it seems fairly apropos for metropolitan areas when it comes to accommodating the volume of new electric vehicles on the horizon. And that is exactly why Ford is working with cities around the country to identify ways to prepare for the plug-in vehicles, such as the Focus Electric later this year.

“As more and more electric vehicles come to market, it’s incredibly important that cities develop action plans, including infrastructure development and permitting solutions, to ensure these vehicles are a viable solution for citizens,” said Mike Tinskey, the Ford Manager of Vehicle Electrification and Infrastructure.

While the existing electric grid has plenty of capacity to support electric vehicles, the key for local utilities will be to offer incentives so customers will charge at night or off-peak times to minimize demand on the grid. There also will need to be an urban planning approach to optimize public/commercial electric vehicle charge locations, meaning they would be used often and be an efficient use of investment dollars. Ford has been encouraged by specialized approaches some cities are taking to support electric vehicles. For example, Boston, New York City and Philadelphia are looking into opportunities to promote travel between the cities by electric vehicle. Additionally, each city is hiring an electric vehicle policy coordinator to help improve efficiency of the permitting processes.

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First Look at the 2013 Ford Taurus and Taurus SHO

It’s difficult to pick the most noteworthy feature of the 2013 Ford Taurus, but let’s start with how the flagship sedan manages to make a bit of automotive history: It is the first car in the Ford North America lineup to offer the new 2.0-liter EcoBoost™ engine. Beyond that, the new Taurus also touts improved fuel economy, more smart technology, a fresh look and additional safety features. And did we mention the Taurus SHO is the sportiest model yet to wear the performance badge? But more on that one in a minute.

The 2.0-liter EcoBoost combines a turbocharger with gasoline direct injection, and is expected to deliver best-in-class highway fuel economy of at least 31 mpg, as well as an estimated 237 horsepower and 250 lb.-ft. of torque. Meanwhile, the standard 3.5-liter V6 is projected to deliver unsurpassed fuel efficiency among V6 segment competitors while still delivering increased performance, with an anticipated 290 horsepower. Both engines are mated to unique six-speed automatic transmissions that offer optimized gear selection for off-the-line power delivery in lower gears, while benefiting fuel economy with higher gears that keep the engine turning efficiently at lower revolutions while cruising.

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Ford Edge is a Top Safety Pick

Raise your hand if you were a kid whose parents let you ride in the very back of the family station wagon on road trips, rolling from side to side during left and right turns. Anyone? All of us? It would have been difficult to imagine back then that there would come a day in which we would be driving vehicles so advanced in safety technology, our days as human cargo would become merely an eye-rolling memory. Times have sure changed – now, driver and occupant safety are a priority for buyers when considering a vehicle purchase.

Those are a priority for Ford too, from bumper to bumper. Ford now has 10 vehicles on the road in the U.S. that have earned the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) Top Safety Pick rating. Among them is the 2011 Edge (for models built after February 2011).

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New Commercial Department Web Page for Sarasota Ford

Just launched! New commercial and Fleet department web page loaded with information on commercial and fleet vehicles. View factory brochures, towing guides, upfit information, videos and browse our commercial inventory all from this new page.

http://www.sarasotaford.com/commercial-vehicles.htm

ANNUAL BUSINESS OWNERS APPRECIATION LUNCHEON

When: March 23, 2011
Time: 11:30am
Where: Sarasota Ford
707 S. Washington Blvd.
Sarasota, Fl.  34236

Sarasota Ford will be hosting our 2nd annual luncheon for our valued business clients.  This luncheon will provide the opportunity for you to view the new 2011 trucks and the all new Ford Explorer as well as the Ecoboost F-150 and their many changes. Ford Field Reps will be here on site, plus our own Sales, Service and Parts Managers.  Meet other business owners and take advantage of the great networking opportunity.  We will also have truck up fit companies on hand showing their latest commercial equipment.

Our goal is to get input for developing a one on one relationship for future sales and service that will benefit you, our valued customer!

Thank you.  Please call Chris Egler (941)713.8363, Gus Schagen (941)737.5308 or Melissa Cordes (941)366.3673 ext 218 or fill out this form for your reservation at the luncheon especially designed for our business customers.

Sincerely,
Gus Schagen
Commercial/FleetManager

2012 Ford Focus scores government rating of 40 mpg!

The 2012 Ford Focus received a government rating of achieving 40 miles per gallon on the highway, as the automaker's global launch of the compact spurs jobs among its supplier base, company officials said Friday.

The Environmental Protection Agency also certified the Focus as getting 28 mpg in city driving, Ford said. The rating applies to a model with a four-cylinder direct-injection engine and six-speed automatic transmission, as well as other fuel saving features.
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The fuel economy news came as the Dearborn automaker announced its supplier network has expanded to meet the demand of its C-segment platform, which underpins the new Focus. Many of Ford's 310 global suppliers are adding jobs, facilities and equipment to build parts for the new Focus. Among the major Focus suppliers, 5,500 jobs have been added at facilities in North America, Europe and Asia, the automaker said.
"Suppliers are critical to the success of the new Focus, and they are stepping up to support Ford in this important launch," said Tony Brown, group vice president of Ford global purchasing.
The Focus becomes Ford's fourth vehicle with an EPA-certified rating of 40 mpg or more.

From The Detroit News: http://detnews.com/article/20110226/AUTO01/102260326/2012-Ford-Focus-scores-government-rating-of-40-mpg#ixzz1F5s66lLI

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Personal Tour of the Ford C-MAX

From its sliding rear doors to clever 5+2 seating and kinetic design, there’s a lot to the new Ford C-MAX for North America. Wendy King is the brand manager for the vehicle, and she provides a quick introduction to the car in the video above.

The Ford C-MAX multi-activity vehicle is an all-new, affordable transportation alternative for growing, busy North American families who crave industry-first technology, flexible seating and interior space, sporty performance and best-in-class fuel economy.

This new compact multi-activity vehicle introduces a host of unique features including an industry-exclusive hands-free power-operated rear liftgate, versatile 5+2 seating configuration with five seats in the main cabin and two smaller seats in the third row, twin sliding doors and active park assist, an advanced new system that automatically steers the vehicle into parallel parking spaces.

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All-New Ford Explorer Wins 2011 North American Truck of the Year

January 10th, 2011

The competition may have been stiff, but Ford has done it again, capturing its seventh win of the North American Truck of the Year title, this time with the all-new 2011 Ford Explorer. With class-leading fuel economy, a towing capability of 5,000 pounds, available industry-exclusive second-row inflatable safety belts and Intelligent 4WD with an advanced Terrain Management System, as well as a host of other advanced technologies and features, the new Ford Explorer walked away with the prestigious title of 2011 North American Truck of the Year.

The North American Truck of the Year award recognizes vehicles based on factors that include innovation, design, safety, handling, driver satisfaction and value for the dollar. A jury of 49 veteran automotive journalists from 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. Last year, the Ford Transit Connect was the winner. The best-selling Ford F-150 pickup won the honor in 2004 and 2009; the fuel-efficient Ford Escape Hybrid won in 2005. This is the 18th year for the Truck of the Year award.

“It’s a proud moment for Ford, our employees and our customers to have Explorer named North American Truck of the Year,” said Mark Fields, Ford president of The Americas. “Winning this honor for the third consecutive year confirms our One Ford plan is working to deliver vehicles people truly want and value, with industry-leading quality, fuel efficiency, safety and smart technology.”

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Bret Michaels Parties with MyFord Touch

Ford Focus Electric Car

Ford, using the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas as a stage – instead of the upcoming big auto show in Detroit – has formally introduced the Ford Electric, its first all-electric passenger car. The company said the car, to be manufactured for North American sales at its plant in Wayne, Mich., will launch by late this year.



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Ford gains ground in customer perception

The Ford brand gained ground in consumers' minds this year as Toyota slipped, though the Japanese juggernaut still leads the pack by a slight margin.

Over the last two years, Ford climbed 35 percentage points while Toyota dropped 46 percentage points, according to the latest survey from Consumer Reports.

During this time, Ford (144) moved within three points of Toyota (147). A year ago, Toyota held a significant lead in the rankings, 196 to 140.5.

Toyota lost ground in the wake of its massive safety recalls, which have dented its image considerably. Meanwhile, high marks for the Fusion hybrid and 2011 Explorer helped Ford close the gap.

The scores in the survey reflect how customers perceive each brand in seven categories: safety, quality, value, performance, design/style, technology/innovation and environmentally friendly/green capability.

Interestingly, while Toyota still leads in brand perception, Ford pulled ahead in the categories that resonate with consumers: safety, quality and value.

Toyota remained strong in environmental friendliness, a category that continues to become less important to consumers. The Consumer Reports survey indicates that 28 percent of consumers now find it to be an important factor when purchasing a car.

The most important factors, according to the study, are safety (65 percent), quality (57 percent) and value (51 percent).

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