A Sync-equipped vehicle.

Ford Motor Co. says it will make live help a standard feature of its Sync Services driver information search system. The new feature, called Operator Assist, will let Sync users speak to a live person when they have trouble navigating the system.

Voice-activated Sync Services provides news, traffic, sports, weather, stock quotes and other information and can also perform business searches and give turn-by-turn directions. Ford days 70% of calls to Sync are requests for business searches and directions. But Sync also has developed a reputation for confusing and confounding its users.

Under the revised system, customers can say “operator,” confirm the request, and then get help with searches and other information from an operator. In many ways, the feature is similar to the OnStar system that rival General Motors has offered for more than a decade.

“This isn’t just about offering customers a back-up option to the services we have already. This is about giving customers a variety of choices when it comes to how they would like to receive information,” said Doug VanDagens, director, Ford Connected Services Solutions Organization.

In July Ford said it was testing the system under which customers needing extra help with their Sync services could get operator assistance. The apparent rise in demand for operator assistance on the road suggests that many drivers still prefer to speak with a human when they are in a pinch.

Courtesy of blogs.wsj.com

After winning praise for renewing Ford Motor Co.’s product lineup in Europe, then globally, Joseph Bakaj now must make the company’s powertrains greener.

Bakaj said his latest role takes him back to when he joined Ford in 1985 in the UK to work on powertrains. This time, the challenges are bigger. Tougher fuel economy and CO2 emission regulations in Europe and the United States, and increased consumer demand, are driving the race for cleaner, greener engines.

“How to do it is a challenge, but it’s exciting for me. The pace of technological change is faster than ever,” Bakaj said.

Bakaj has a brilliant track record. In 2000, he was named Engineer of the Year by a UK magazine for his work as engineering manager for the Ford Mondeo.

After stints as Ford’s engineering director for North American truck product development and at Mazda, where he was responsible for global product development, Bakaj became Ford of Europe’s head of product development in 2005.

His work in renewing Ford’s product lineup with models such as the S-Max minivan, Kuga crossover and Fiesta subcompact earned him a promotion to head of global product programs three years later.

An important project on Bakaj’s desk is Ford’s new 1.0-liter, three-cylinder engine for the company’s global small cars. The engine is designed to deliver the performance of a four-cylinder, 1.6-liter unit, but with greater fuel economy.

Another key program is an eight-speed automatic transmission that will allow the carmaker to continue its effort to downsize engines, Bakaj said.

Courtesy of autonews.com

• Ford is working more closely than ever with suppliers to offer increasing levels of new technologies in its vehicles
• Ford uses Aligned Business Framework principles to promote early collaboration with suppliers on innovative vehicle features

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich., Aug. 1, 2011 – Ford Motor Company, which is working closely with suppliers to offer increasing levels of new technologies in its vehicles, was named a winner Monday of the 2011 Automotive News Suppliers’ Choice Award.

The award, announced at the Center for Automotive Research’s annual conference here, recognizes outstanding work in bringing innovations to market. Winners were chosen through a detailed survey of suppliers that J.D. Power and Associates conducts for Automotive News every two years. It ranks North American automakers on their ability to support, foster and commercialize the suppliers’ innovations.

“I am pleased to accept this award, not just on behalf of Ford Purchasing, but for all our colleagues in Product Development and throughout the entire Ford organization,” said Birgit Behrendt, executive director, Ford Global Programs and The Americas Purchasing.

Ford’s top performance in 2011 follows a significant improvement in the 2009 study, and is the latest example of Ford’s continuously improving supplier relations. Ford uses the principles of its Aligned Business Framework (ABF) to guide how it works with suppliers. In addition to collaboration and transparency, ABF promotes early sharing of product plans and new technologies between Ford and its key suppliers.

“Smart technologies are a distinguishing feature of Ford vehicles and we are collaborating more closely than ever with our suppliers to put these in customers’ hands,” said Tony Brown, group vice president, Ford Global Purchasing. “It is gratifying to see that our efforts are paying off, because they represent a win for both Ford and our suppliers.”

The new Ford Focus shows how Ford is working closely with suppliers to equip vehicles with numerous technologies that enhance customer comfort and convenience – technologies that are normally associated with luxury vehicles. The Focus includes 14 key technology benefits, such as the Active City Stop feature that helps drivers avoid low-speed collisions, that are the result of early cooperation with suppliers during the car’s development process.

“Suppliers are a tremendous source of the new ideas that bring added benefits to our customers,” said Brown. “Using ABF, we will continue to improve on our relationships and become the customer of choice for innovations that benefit all of us.”

In the Automotive News survey, automakers are evaluated on five factors: openness to new ideas; ease of working with the automaker on innovative ideas; level of trust; willingness to provide financial incentives or rewards for supplier innovation; and ability to implement innovations.

The 2011 survey included responses from supplier CEOs, presidents and executives, and represents all areas of vehicle design, engineering and manufacturing. Responses on 15 automakers that manufacture vehicles in North America are included.

The survey, launched in 2003, was conducted for Automotive News by J.D. Power.

Courtesy of media.ford.com

Gas prices are getting out of control, so it makes sense that more people are conserving as much energy as they can–although it’s difficult to imagine that everyone can actually cut back on their fuel consumption.

A lot of people are actually saving more by going green, or buying hybrid.

The hybrid and electric car market keeps growing each year, and these type of vehicles are only are getting more popular as time moves forward. Which fuel efficient models are the safest though?

The top 7 safest fuel efficient 2011 models are:

1. Chevrolet Cruze ECO
2. Ford Focus SFE
3. Honda Civic HF / Hybrid
4. Hyundai Elantra
5. Lexus CT 200h
6. Toyota Prius
7. Volkswagen Golf TDI

Courtesy of blogs.internetautoguide.com