Daily Auto News Ford Navigation Systems to Provide Eco-friendly Routes
Daily Auto News
Most navigation systems allow for users to choose the shortest route to their destination. Some even provide toll-free and scenic route options. Now, Ford’s new MyFord Touch user interface technology will allow drivers to choose an “Eco Route” for greener driving.
According to a Ford press release: “Eco-Route is not necessarily the fastest or shortest route but is the most fuel efficient. Typically, it charts a course that avoids congested freeways while maximizing the use of major roads where the driver can maintain an efficient rate of speed. When Ford of Europe engineers tested the feature, they achieved up to a 15 percent improvement in fuel economy using the Eco-Route.” The system uses “historical and real-time traffic data as well as posted speed information to calculate” the greenest route.
Check out Autoblog for a video demonstration of how the system works.
So far, the reception has been great. Edmunds writes: “We like the idea of eco routing, because it puts the control in the driver’s hands. If you’re not in any particular hurry, you can choose the fuel economy route. But if you are rushed, you don’t have to use it. It’s a far better way to conserve fuel, we feel, than obligatory measures like conservative throttle mapping and chronically early upshift protocol on automatic transmissions.”
Ford debuted its MyFord Touch technology at the 2010 International Consumer Electronics Show in January. The system will be made available to the public this summer on the 2011 Ford Edge. All new Lincoln vehicles, starting with the 2011 Lincoln MKX, will feature the system as standard technology. It will, however, only be an option on the 2012 Ford Focus. Pricing has not yet been announced.
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