In a new marketing effort to promote its pure-electric Focus, Ford says it will make history this month, as the battery-powered version of its compact hatchback will become the first all-electric pace car to lead the pack at a NASCAR race.

The new Focus Electric, which rolled off the production line in December at the company's Michigan Assembly Plant, will perform all pace care duties for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at the Richmond International Raceway on April 28.

The Focus Electric pace car will make its public debut at the Virginia State Capitol in Richmond on April 25.  "Ford research shows the majority of Americans would consider buying an electrified vehicle but do not yet understand the different technologies," said Mark Fields, president of The Americas. "Highlighting the Focus Electric as a pace car is a fun way to educate consumers about the kinds of benefits our electrified vehicles deliver."

Ford noted that according to research, around 35 percent of new car intenders are motorsports fans and 78 percent of them support NASCAR. The company added that Ford race fans are 67 percent more likely to consider Ford products than general market consumers.

Via Carscoop

(via AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Two of my favorite car companies have partnered together, Ford and Toyota, to work on my favorite drive topology, rear-wheel drive, with everyone's favorite engine system, the hybrid.

● The partnership sets the two companies on equal footing in an effort to create and advanced hybrid system for rear-wheel drive light trucks and SUVs.

● The goal is to deliver greater fuel efficiency while not compromising the performance of the vehicles.

● The team will also work towards developing the next-generation standards for in vehicle internet and digital communication systems.

● Ford and Toyota pledge to deliver the new tech within the coming decade.

I like where their minds are at. However, I would like to see this same hybrid RWD system come to consumer and sport cars. I believe I am not the only one. Perhaps market demand with usher in a new revival for RWD. We can only hope.

Cabe

Could ‘talking cars’ save lives? Auto companies are developing safety systems using advanced Wi-Fi signals and GPS systems that could allow vehicles to communicate with each other on the road. The cars could then send messages to warn their drivers about potential crashes. Ford Motor Co. is demonstrating the technology at the Washington Auto Show in the nation's capital. The technology sends out multiple messages per second about the vehicle's location, speed, brakes and steering. If a vehicle detects a potential hazard, it can warn the driver. The technology aims to prevent collisions involving a car changing lanes, approaching a stalled vehicle, or heading into an intersection in which another car ignores a red light or a stop sign. The systems, which warn drivers through beeping sounds and flashing red lights at the base of the dashboard, are still five to 10 years from being deployed into the nation's fleet. But Ford officials said the technology, if installed on enough vehicles, could reduce the more than 30,000 people who are killed each year on the nation's highways. Some crash avoidance systems have used radar systems positioned in the front or back of the vehicle. Ford said the GPS/Wi-Fi systems are less costly and can detect movements surrounding the vehicles, including conditions along winding roads where a driver's vision might be obstructed or in side crashes involving a car that barrels through a red light. The broad availability of GPS and Wi-Fi, meanwhile, could help car companies eventually install the technology on vehicles already in the fleet.

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