Go Further Archives

Go Further with Ford Fusion Energi Up The 101 Redwood Coastal Highway #GoFurther @Ford

April 22, 2014 by Momstart 5 Comments

We spent our Spring Break this year going up and down the West coast of the US. Starting near Seattle we started our trek in our Ford Fusion Energi and headed down to LA for a visit to Disneyland. The Ford Fusion Energi is more than your typical hybrid vehicle. This car also has a battery that gives us up to 20 miles of electricity and the fun part is when you’re coasting down the mountain side we were able to rack up to 4 extra miles of electricity with the regenerative breaking system. It was AWESOME. We saved quite a bit of money on gas with this road trip car.

After our visit in LA at Disneyland we decided to drive over to San Francisco and then from there take Highway 101 up the coast through the redwood forest and then all the way back up to Washington. The roads are quite windy a not many passing lanes but our car had no issues passing anyone and staying within the lines. In fact with the lane assistance and cruise control on together this car practically drives itself. The car also likes to let you know when it thinks you are not driving up to snuff by saying you should stop for a coffee break. Then if you continue to drive poorly it will make lots of red noises at you and the warning goes from yellow to red.

The Ford Fusion Energi is amazing on the beach. And the kids were so excited to see sand they stopped right outside my son’s door and just started playing in the sand. They had so much fun, we all had so much fun.

The only negative is that there isn’t a lot of trunk space for a road trip but our roof rack provided us with all the space we needed.

Further With Ford in The Car Simulation Machine #GoFurther

August 12, 2012 by Momstart 17 Comments

A few months ago I went to Detroit the car capital of our nation to meet with Ford for their Go Further press event. Here they invite over 200 members of the press including bloggers to show them where Ford is headed and how they plan to get there. Overall I was very impressed with Ford as a company for their innovative ideas and green consciousness. One of the ways they test out the spacing and feel of their cars is in the simulation machine.

I had the opportunity to sit in the simulator and I loved it. They moved the seat so that I was comfortable and I put on the HUGE head gear and glasses and suddenly I was in the car. I started reaching out to touch things that weren’t really there. The car door was fully furnished and my seat looked like it was covered in leather. The seat next to me was suddenly empty so I reached out to touch it, completely forgetting that the Ford employee was sitting next to me. I heard everyone in the room laughing, and realized what I was doing. While I was in the car they asked me if I wanted to get in the back seat and explore that too, I was confused at first knowing the car only had front seats, all I had to do was stay in the front seat, they flipped a switch and suddenly I was in the back seat. The simulator really gives you an idea of how much space is going to be in the car. I LOVED IT.

I’ve read on Ford.com that they use the simulator for more than just spatial awareness. They also let potential customers use the simulator to provide feedback to the engineers for things like, in-dash display on the Focus Electric. I wanted to take my simulation for a drive but we ran out of time and had to go off to the next session.

Ford covered my travel expenses to attend the Go Further With Ford Trend Conference.