ford technology | Lamarque Ford

Ford Debuts Hybrid Police Car Model

April 27, 2017 By Matthew Hritz Leave a Comment

Ford’s latest invention could end up saving lives and the environment. One of newest re-imagined vehicles from the automobile company includes a hybrid gas-electric police car. Under this latest model, the Ford vehicle promises to be both fuel efficient and street ready for any situation.

Ford is the biggest provider of police vehicles in the United States, and its new reveal continues to enhance the daily commute of police officers throughout the country. At recent press conferences in both New York and Los Angeles, Ford officially unveiled the latest model of the green vehicle already decorated for the Los Angeles streets. Following the reveal, the company released a statement reading “The all-new Ford Police Responder Hybrid Sedan will help cities decrease emissions and cut down on fuel costs by reducing engine idle times versus traditional police cars.” As the conference continued, more details were revealed about the new model.

According to the company, the vehicle’s gas mileage is expected to be about 38 mpg which is twice the mileage of an everyday Ford Police Interceptor. While the new model is not as fast the regular police car, Ford expects the new vehicle to earn a pursuit rating following testing regarding acceleration, handling, braking, top speed and ergonomics by the Michigan State Police and Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department later this year. This factors would make the police vehicle the first hybrid vehicle to earn the rating. Also, Ford promises that the car will also be durable for various speeds and obstacles necessary for police pursuits such as curbs or intersections thanks to its combined gas and battery power. While it is still too early to confirm these promises on the field, Ford’s guarantee at the notion implies that the model is not too far off from reality.

By estimate, the hybrid vehicle is expected to help officers save about $3877 per year over fill-ups and downtime. This advantage alone benefits the environment from constant reliance on gasoline and small-town police stations struggling under a budget. Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police President Thomas Korabik remarked positively on the idea for his 10-officer station, though is also interested in seeing “how it would hold up” with other demands. As Ford continues to keep ahead of upcoming trends, the company could very well be up to that challenge.

As of now, the price of the hybrid is set to be available in the summer of 2018 with no definite release date in sight. However, if testing for the pursuit rating goes well, this probably won’t be the last we hear of the hybrid police vehicle.

While Lamarque Ford cannot sell you a Ford Police Responder Hybrid Sedan, Lamarque has a wide selection of the civilian models available!

Smart Phone + Smart Car = GENIUS ALERT

January 21, 2016 By Matthew Hritz Leave a Comment

Ford is expanding its SYNC® connectivity system, adding Apple CarPlay, Android Auto™, 4G LTE and several new AppLink™ apps to help millions of consumers stay connected behind the wheel and even when they are away from their cars.

“SYNC allows customers to bring the smartphone technology they’re comfortable with into a vehicle and use it without hassle,” said Don Butler, Ford executive director, Connected Vehicle and Services. “With SYNC, we move at our customers’ pace – making it easy for them to maintain a connected lifestyle no matter their choice of smartphone, apps or services inside and outside their vehicle.”

With more than 15 million SYNC-equipped vehicles on roads around the world today and 43 million expected by 2020, Ford’s industry-leading communications and entertainment technology is offering customers even more connectivity. Connectivity is one part of Ford Smart Mobility, the plan to take the company to the next level in connectivity, mobility, autonomous vehicles, the customer experience, and data and analytics.

Apple CarPlay
Apple CarPlay is compatible with iPhone 5 and later models. It works by plugging in the iPhone via USB, then the CarPlay interface appears on the touch screen. Apple CarPlay features Siri voice control, and seamlessly integrates an iPhone with the car’s built-in display and controls.

The integration makes it easy to make phone calls, access music, send and receive messages, get directions optimized for traffic conditions and other features – all while keeping your eyes on the road.

Android Auto
Users of Android devices 5.0 and higher can bring their smartphone experience into their vehicle safely and easily. Convenient information, including Google Maps, Google Play Music and apps are projected onto the SYNC screen, offering seamless integration of the smartphone into the car. Google voice search answers any questions customers may have also while on the road.

SYNC: Nearly a decade of connectivity leadership
Ford SYNC is the world’s leading in-car entertainment and communications system, with more than 15 million vehicles on the road worldwide.

Launched in 2007, Ford SYNC was the industry’s first system to widely and most affordably offer voice-activated technology to control smartphones. The latest-generation system – SYNC 3 – features all-new hardware and software for faster performance, more conversational voice recognition, a smartphone-like touch screen, and easier-to-understand graphical interface for a growing number of Ford vehicles in North America.

Ford Opens Research Center In Palo Alto | Lamarque Ford | New Orleans, Metairie

January 23, 2015 By Matthew Hritz Leave a Comment

Last week, Ford announced the opening of a new research center in Palo Alto. The move will allow the company to speed-up its development of new technologies, focusing on mobility, connectivity, autonomous vehicles, and big data.

The Research and Innovation Center Palo Alto is Ford’s latest research center, and joins the Michigan and Germany campuses. As part of the move, Ford is partnering with Stanford to begin the next phase of testing of the Fusion Hybrid Autonomous Research Vehicles.

Ford is conducting experiments in different areas, including connectivity. The new Palo Alto team will play a critical role in exploring ways to communicate with existing technologies. The team is already integrating Ford vehicles with Nest, and allow for temperature to be managed via GPS and proximity.

Another area of intense interest is autonomous driving technology. Ford is already running experiments globally and in its Michigan and Massachusetts research centers. The new campus will allow Ford to work closely with the Stanford engineering program and to test new path planning and prediction algorithms.

Ford’s autonomous vehicle research has two components: the path planning algorithms and aDRIVE, or Autonomous Driving Refined In Virtual Environments. aDrive is a visual test software that tests algorithms like traffic sign recognition and other road elements.

Ford is also hoping to get input from their human-machine interfaces to control systems. For instance, the company is researching better ways to control functions on a high-tech multi-contour seat, including natural speech recognition and a tablet-based interface.

As wireless technologies become a necessity in our everyday lives, companies are also evolving to align their goals. A century ago, car manufacturers were concerned with the vary basics of the vehicle, which was to move us from point A to point B. Today, the car has become a lot more than that, and vehicles now embrace the latest technologies. Ford has been at the forefront of this trend, and offers innovative safety features in all their models like blind spot information system with cross traffic alert, park assist, inflatable safety belts, AdvanceTrac with roll stability control, and more.

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Lamarque Ford is proud to be one of the premier dealerships in New Orleans, LA. Located in Kenner, LA, Lamarque Ford is committed to providing you the best customer service and vehicle service for the life of your vehicle. Whether you’re on the market to purchase, finance, or service a new or used Ford vehicle, you’ve come to the right place.

CES: Ford Showcases New Mobility Technology | Lamarque Ford | New Orleans

January 7, 2015 By Matthew Hritz Leave a Comment

As the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is underway in Las Vegas, Ford announced its mobility strategy for 2015. Besides investing in new technologies to improve its line-up, Ford is looking to solve some of the most challenging transportation challenges worldwide. Although CES is mostly run by tech companies (in the traditional sense of the word), a record ten car companies showed up this year in Las Vegas. This trend is only going to get bigger, as more car manufacturers embrace wireless and mobile technology. Let’s see what Ford has in store for 2015.

At CES, Ford outlined its plan to take on connectivity, mobility, autonomous vehicles, and big data. Through 25 mobility experiments worldwide – nine in the Americas, seven in Asia and nine in Europe and Africa, Ford will anticipate the needs of tomorrow’s vehicles. Mark Fields, Ford CEO, talked about a world where vehicles talk to each other as they communicate to the power grid and our smart homes. As the world population grows, Fields said, there is a need for a different transportation model and Ford is trying to stay ahead of the game.

Amongst the most notable experiments was Parking Spotter, conducted in Atlanta with Georgia Tech. The experiment uses driver-assist sensors already present in Ford vehicles, like sonar and radar, and it uses them to search for open parking spaces. The data is then shared on a cloud database and is made available for other drivers in the city. Ford will then use this information for its driver-assist app, which will help drivers find parking spots with ease. You can call it the crowdsourcing of parking spots.

To help drivers get better insurance rates, Ford is also experimenting with what it calls Data Driven Insurance. In London, Ford will set up a “driving behavior passport” to reward good driving. Remember, your vehicle already has a myriad of sensors that constantly monitor speed, throttle, breaking, gas consumption and more. The idea is that drivers will be able to take this information with them, either from car to car or from insurance to insurance, and get a lowered rate.

Although Ford already offers Crew Chief Fleet Manager to help businesses stay on top of their fleets, the company is looking for ways to improve it. Engineers are already working with HP, one of the world’s biggest tech companies, to track driving routines of its commuting employees. This experiment hopes to bring in new data on how drivers react to external factors like traffic and weather and on how to further improve their driving experience.

Another big part of Ford’s presentation was the autonomous vehicles, which the company said is going great. Ford, like many other car and tech companies, is experimenting with self-driving vehicles and is certain this technology will take-off in the future. Many of today’s safety features were made possible by experimenting with autonomous driving, like lane-keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, pre-collision assist, active park assist and pedestrian detection.

Ford also used the CES stage to talk about its upcoming SYNC 3, the company’s new in-car entertainment and communications system. SYNC 3 promises to bring better interface and improved car-driver interactions, like revised speech commands and voice recognition. Remember Ford is constantly looking for new technologies to improve its vehicles and how drivers interact with them. Check out our current inventory and see what the new 2015 models have to offer.

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Lamarque Ford is proud to be one of the premier dealerships in New Orleans, LA. Located in Kenner, LA, Lamarque Ford is committed to providing you the best customer service and vehicle service for the life of your vehicle. Whether you’re on the market to purchase, finance, or service a new or used Ford vehicle, you’ve come to the right place.

Ford SYNC Features | Lamarque Ford | New Orleans

August 4, 2014 By Matthew Hritz Leave a Comment

For the last few years, Ford has developed smarter technologies that enhance driving, safety and comfort. Driven by research and Ford’s competitive spirit, the company has found ways to improve their vehicles in a a wide variety of ways. With connectivity systems like SYNC, AppLink, and MyFord Touch, Ford has made its technology available to millions. Let’s take a look at Ford’s center console solution that is connecting drivers everywhere.

What Is Ford SYNC?

SYNC is Ford’s proprietary in-car communications system that allows drivers to interact with their vehicle and a device in new ways. SYNC combines advanced voice commands and services like traffic into the following features:

Hands-free calling. Without taking their eyes off the road, drivers can simply press the talk button on their steering wheels and say the name of a contact in their phones to make a call.
Audible text messages. Ford SYNC can read incoming messages out loud, and will even give the driver an option to reply.
Voice-activated music. When SYNC is paired with a phone or media player, it can recognize music playing commands and the titles of your songs, albums, artists, even genres.
Vehicle health report. SYNC is also connected to the vehicle’s sensors and monitoring systems, and can generate an overall health report and notify the driver via email or text.
Traffic. Integrated GPS allows the system to constantly monitor traffic conditions and can even notify the owner of traffic updates via text message.
Directions. SYNC offers turn-by-turn directions integration, as well as a search database of more than 14 million businesses, which can be accessed via voice commands.
Information. Ford owners can customize their voice commands content to match their needs, choosing from different categories like weather by city, sports scores, and news.

In addition, Ford SYNC offers an optional in-car WiFi, which works by plugging in a USB broadband modem in the center console and sharing the signal throughout the vehicle. As opposed to the competitors’ dealership installed solutions, this system allows the owner to upgrade to faster/different modems of their choice without any further set-ups or installations.

SYNC AppLink

AppLink is at its core a tool for developers to extend the capabilities of their apps. This translates into apps that can be controlled through voice commands and the buttons on your Ford’s steering wheel, without ever taking attention off of driving. Devices running Android and Blackberry can be controlled via Bluetooth and Apple devices via the USB charger.

Visit Lamarque Ford to see which vehicles come equipped with SYNC and to find out more about Ford’s in car technology.

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