Skip to main content

MyFord Mobile app makes wireless keyfobs look like antiques

The electric Focus that Ford debuted at last year’s CES may not be in dealerships just yet, but the long wait between unveiling and drive time has given Ford plenty of time to work on an important component: MyFord Mobile. The app will arrive for iOS, Android and BlackBerry OS when the Focus arrives later this year, but we had a chance to see everything it can do ahead of time at CES 2012.

Since the Focus will live and die – quite literally – on the level of charge it has managed to soak up at the nearest outlet, battery life plays a major factor in the MyFord Mobile app. An electric blue battery meter greets you when you open the app to show battery capacity not just in percentage, but in miles. Even more impressive, the mileage estimates are individually tailored to different drivers, calculated by that driver’s history of watts per mile. Besides preventing leadfoot drivers from getting stranded when their driving habits deplete the battery faster than expected, it provides another good incentive to lay off the accelerator so you can up your range.

Along the same lines, a tailored page for each driver will give you driving rating from “zippy” to “zen,” show how much money you’ve saved on gas, and even award achievements for tasks like things like your first 1,000 miles without using any gas. As an even more social incentive, you can compete regionally with nearby drivers to see who can manage to wring the most life from a watt.

When it’s time to charge, MyFord Mobile provides two useful options: An interactive map for finding EV charging stations, and a host of settings for charging your car at home. The relative scarcity of EV charging stations makes the first option essential for anyone who plans on venturing further from home, and the second makes it cheaper – and more convenient – to fuel up in the comfort of your garage. Using technology developed in coordination with Microsoft, the Focus will actually charge itself overnight when electric rates are cheaper, ensure it’s ready by the time you wake in the morning, and turn on the heat or A/C to bring the car up to temperature before you head out.

Finally, to help drivers cope with the limitations of an EV’s range (or “drive with confidence” in Ford parlance), Ford has included a route planning app that integrates the range of the Focus. Tell it you want to go to the hardware store, for instance, and it will not only show you how to get there, but add up the range from there and back and make sure you’re good to go. Destinations with chargers can also be factored into the equation, for multi-destination trips where you might have a chance to feed the Focus along the way.

The Ford Focus Electric will glide silently into showrooms in the second half of 2012, with MyFord Mobile to appear in app stores at the same time.

Nick Mokey
As Digital Trends’ Managing Editor, Nick Mokey oversees an editorial team delivering definitive reviews, enlightening…
The Apple Car was reportedly dubbed ‘the Bread Loaf’
A man checks his phone in an Apple retail store in Grand Central Terminal.

A 2020 prototype of the so-called "Apple Car" was dubbed "the Bread Loaf" for its looks, according to a Bloomberg report on Wednesday.

In a deep dive into the costly project, which Apple canceled last month, the report described the vehicle as “a white minivan with rounded sides, an all-glass roof, sliding doors, and whitewall tires [that] was designed to comfortably seat four people and inspired by the classic flower-power Volkswagen microbus.”

Read more
The Rivian R2 SUV is up for preorder for only $45,000
Rivian R2

You can now get a Rivian without spending more than $70,000. After months of rumors and leaks, Rivian has finally taken the wraps off of the Rivian R2, its newest SUV, and the first to be built on the new Rivian R2 platform. The R2 is built to be Rivian's "Model 3 moment," or its attempt to build a car that's more accessible to the general public and thus could be sold at a much higher volume than the R1S or R1T ever were.

The R2 certainly cuts some corners to achieve the lower price point, but it actually still has a lot going for it -- especially as an electric SUV in this price range. It goes up against the likes of the Tesla Model Y, Hyundai Ioniq 5, Mustang Mach-E, and Kia EV6, but it's much more of an SUV than a crossover-sized car and should appeal to those who want something larger and with Rivian's design sensibility.

Read more
The R3 is Rivian’s surprise electric crossover
Rivian R3

Rivian didn't just announce the R2 platform at its latest launch event -- in a surprise twist, it also announced the R3 crossover. The R3 is Rivian's smallest car yet, offering a size much closer to the likes of the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6 than the SUVs that came before it.

Of course, not only is the Rivian R3 smaller, but presumably, it's also cheaper. Rivian didn't reveal actual pricing for the car, but it did say that it would be less than the R2's $45,000 price. Also, it may be some time before we start seeing the R3 on the road -- the car will follow the R2, which isn't set to be available until the first half of 2026.

Read more