Ford Sync 3 launched on various 2016 model year Ford vehicles, but now it’s time to begin sunsetting that tech in favor of the next iteration. Today, Ford is taking the wraps off its newest infotainment software, Sync 4. The new software is set to arrive on vehicles in 2020, but Ford isn’t saying which cars, or when in 2020, yet.

Even without using it, Sync 4 looks like an improvement we’ll welcome with open arms. It’s not as though Sync 3 was bad, but Sync 4’s capability looks much improved. To start, Ford says Sync 4 systems offer twice the computing power of Sync 3. This means things should move faster and smoother. The graphic set and look is refreshed, too. From the initial images and video demos, it looks much more polished than Sync 3.

Ford also designed it with larger screen sizes in mind. The software is optimized for screens that are between 8 inches and 15.5 inches in size. If Ford includes a 15.5-inch screen in a car, that’d put it ahead of the Tesla Model 3’s 15-inch center tablet. Our best guess for the implementation of such a screen would be in the next-gen F-150, or an EV. The Mustang-inspired EV crossover is coming soon, so we’ll be eagerly awaiting infotainment system news on that one.

Since Ford plans on using such large screens in its cars, it also developed multitasking tools to display more than one thing on the screen at once. Ford says 12-inch screens will be able to split into two windows (one larger and one smaller window). This will allow you to display both your navigation and audio at once, similar to updates recently made to Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The 15.5-inch screens will let you go into “Adaptive Dash Cards” mode, where you can keep tabs of multiple menus at once. This might be a bit too much, but we’ll see how it works in practice.

The next big advantage is its cloud connection capability. Your electric Ford will need to communicate with infrastructure to determine if electric car chargers are available, and Ford has already detailed this plan for us. It’ll also be able to understand conversational requests. Ford says a command like, “Find me the best Thai restaurant” will yield an accurate answer. It also features machine learning, so it’ll learn your routines and habits, the more you use it.

Wireless Apple CarPlay and wireless Android Auto will also be how you connect your smartphone device if you choose to forego the native Ford software. This makes Ford one of the few manufacturers to use the wireless versions of this tech, similar to Audi and BMW. Let's just hope it works better than BMW's interface.

Ford also announced that most redesigned vehicles released in and for 2020 will support over-the-air updates. It says the car will be able to wirelessly upgrade vehicles with “quality, capability and convenience updates.” Additionally, the update won’t render the car useless. It’ll install the update in the background and keep the current software running until the new version is ready to be activated.

With three-row crossovers and SUVs back on the rise, the latest move from Ford shouldn't surprise anyone. As of April 24th, 2020, the company has filed a trademark to retain the name "Excursion." That's right, the hulking three-row from the early 2000s could make a comeback, theoretically. But it probably won't have the same massive V10 or Power Stroke diesel V8 if or when it does.

Our friends at MotorTrend discovered the Ford filing from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), specified for use on "motor vehicles, namely, automobiles, pick-up trucks, electric vehicles, sport utility vehicles, off-road vehicles, and their structural parts." With the GMC Hummer EV on the way, it's possible that Ford could be planning an electric Excursion to compete, but the trademark leaves the possibilities pretty open-ended.

Earlier last year Volkswagen and Ford announced that they would collaborate on several commercial vehicles, including small city vans. The agreement itself was signed this week, and it will involve not only small work vans, but a new Ford-badged EV built on Volkswagen's Modular Electric Drive platform that underpins VW's upcoming range of ID vehicles. Volkswagen will also get a pickup out of the deal in under two years, based on the Ford Ranger platform.

The deal has now been finalized, and among the items this partnership will produce are a new 1-ton cargo van developed by Ford that will be shared by the two companies, a new VW Caddy small van that will be sold as a Ford and a VW, and a next-gen VW Amarok pickup for foreign markets that will be based on the Ford Ranger, debuting in 2022.

"Commercial vehicles are fundamental to Ford today and an area where we will accelerate and grow, and working with Volkswagen on these platforms will provide both of us significant financial advantages in things like engineering, and plants and tooling," said Jim Farley, Ford chief operating officer. "Separately, Ford will add battery electric versions of Transit and F-150 in the next 24 months for commercial customers who increasingly need zero emissions and the power of connectivity, data and artificial intelligence."

But by far the most interesting item in this deal for Ford will be an electric car based on the MEB platform that will be developed for Europe and debut in 2023. The automaker describes this vehicle as "highly differentiated," suggesting that it won't be something like an ID.4 crossover with a Ford badge, one that will give Ford a unique EV model in the European market.

The past decade for Ford in Europe has been very unfortunate, to put it mildly, as the automaker has seen its market share dwindle amid a stale lineup and a series of cost cuts. In early 2019 Ford announced it would kill off several underperforming models in Europe, in addition to slashing jobs and closing several plants. Ford enacted similar cuts earlier in the decade, closing several plants and cutting models. The pressures faced by Ford were not unique, as GM made the choice to sell its Opel and Vauxhall brands to PSA amid similar headwinds. But the cost-cutting efforts of the past 10 years have also left Ford with not much left to actually cut, amid questions of why Ford was still in Europe all this time.

"Ford’s use of Volkswagen’s MEB architecture in Europe will represent another cornerstone in Volkswagen's electric vehicle strategy, and further efforts by both companies to fulfill their commitments to the Paris 2015 Agreement," Ford said. "Volkswagen and Ford plan to explore additional ways to cooperate on electric vehicles."

It will be curious to see just which segment Ford will choose for its MEB-based electric vehicle. The upcoming Mustang Mach-E will cover the midsize nonluxury EV crossover segment, while Volkswagen's ID.3 will serve as the small hatch, making it less logical for Ford to field a small EV hatch as well. The ID.4, meanwhile, will be the compact EV crossover, and will be sold stateside. EV sedans appear to be well covered by Audi, Tesla and Porsche at the moment, in the premium and luxury categories, and a sedan body style may not be an appealing proposition to Ford in Europe given the sales trends in this segment.

It's still likely that Ford will used the MEB architecture to produce a crossover of some kind, given the growth in demand for this bodystyle. Since the Mach-E will occupy the larger crossover niche, it's likely that Ford's model, aimed at European buyers, will be a smaller crossover.

Will this be the baby Mach-E that has been rumored for the past few months? Time will tell.

Can you believe Ford is at its third series-production EV with the Mustang Mach-E electric crossover? Before it, the Blue Oval had the Focus Electric and Ranger EV, two models that didn’t sell well, nor did they make a mark the industry like Tesla did.
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Going forward, the Ford Motor Company plans to go all in with the F-150 EV and subsequent models. One of those is the Volkswagen ID.3 if you can believe it, but with a different body shell, Ford logos, and a slightly redesigned cockpit. The unlikely partnership stems from Volkswagen tapping the American automaker for the Ranger’s platform, and in exchange, the Blue Oval can use the ID.3 platform.

The collaboration goes so deep that Ford expects to sell “600,000 electric vehicles” on the German automaker’s EV architecture in the six-year period starting in 2023. There’s also talk that a second MEB model – a sub-Mustang Mach-E crossover the size of the ID.4 – is coming after a hatchback the size of the ID.3.

Pixel artist Kleber Silva focused his Photoshop skills on the first of two American EVs with German underpinnings, and truth be told, the Mach-E front fascia suits this body style rather well. Even the rear end looks interesting thanks to Escape-like taillights, contrasting well with the black-painted liftgate of the compact hatch.

The reason Ford has high expectations of this collaboration is simple if you look at the big picture. European countries will adopt a 95-gram fleet average target for CO2 emissions in 2021, and the near future will be even harder for the internal combustion engine in this part of the world. Given these challenges, industry experts look forward to increasing electric adoption by the end of the decade.

As far as the phase-out of fossil fuel is concerned, Norway leads the rankings by banning the sale of ICE vehicles in 2025. Iceland and Sweden will follow suit in 2030, the United Kingdom in 2032 or 2035, and France in 2040 at the latest.

Greater EV adoption is nice in theory, but European countries that declared war on gasoline and diesel should be aware that the charging infrastructure also needs to be upgraded in terms of charging rates as well as the number of stations. Little by little, however, the inevitable is certain to happen to the detriment of fossil fuels.

Ford's done selling passenger cars -- it's all-in on trucks and SUVs . But the Blue Oval knows it needs to keep things somewhat affordable, and you could well be looking at one of two vehicles that will become entry-level models at Ford dealerships: the Maverick pickup truck.


The photo published on the Maverick Truck Club forum with zero sourcing, but doing a little bit of digging, it's highly likely this is the Maverick. Rumor says the compact truck will enter production at Ford's plant in Hermosillo, Mexico, and the the interior of the plant looks nearly identical to photos of the Ford Bronco Sport, which is currently built at the factory, rolling down the production line. We at first thought it could be the next-generation Ranger due to its seriously upright stance and proportions, but we do indeed believe this is the compact truck instead.

Ford did not immediately return Roadshow's request for comment on the photo, though we expect crickets when it comes to a leak like this.

The Maverick, the frontrunner nameplate for this new truck, will be one of two new Fords we've heard of that are meant to serve as entry-level vehicles at Ford dealerships. Dealer sources previously said Ford showed the Maverick and a currently unnamed crossover at a dealership meeting, and both will be very affordable, around $20,000 to start, apparently. The second vehicle will replace the mediocre Ecosport in Ford's lineup.

How can Ford build a pickup and sell it so cheaply? This will not be a body-on-frame vehicle. Instead, it should ride on Ford's C2 architecture that underpins the latest-generation Focus sold abroad, the Escape and the 2021 Bronco Sport. As mentioned, the Bronco Sport is already in production at this Mexican factory. The little SUV also highlights how good Ford is at taking a unibody platform and making it look like a rough and tough thing. The Maverick looks to take the same lessons away with a blocky front end. We also saw a leaked photo of the truck's tailgate last year, too.

We don't have solid information on when the Maverick will make a formal debut, but if Ford's busy building prototypes, we'll likely hear more soon.

Buyers today care less and less about the traditional things you and I grew up thinking were important in cars, like horsepower, handling, and just-what-exactly-is-the-compression-ratio-on-this-thing-anyway? It’s almost assumed that all cars have achieved a certain minimum required level of power, torque, handling, braking, and even reliability. So as we progress through the second century of the automobile, it’s becoming increasingly clear that what car buyers want is connectivity in their cars.

To that end, Ford announced a “strategic partnership” with Google to use Android to run many of the infotainment, navigation, and connectivity features on future Fords. The six-year deal will see a new Google-based operating system on Ford and Lincoln vehicles starting in calendar year 2023.

David McClelland, Ford vice president, strategy and partnerships called the deal “…a first-of-its-kind partnership between Google and Ford that promises to transform both Ford and the auto industry.”

The new system sounds promising. Google maps will offer real-time traffic information, automatic rerouting, lane guidance “and more.” Google Play will offer drivers access to their favorite apps, optimized and integrated for in-vehicle use. Google Assistant means you control the whole thing with voice commands only, freeing up your eyeballs to watch the road. And the partnership will mean more efficient delivery of over-the-air updates for cars, letting you know about recalls, service interval, and even how much time you have left on your lease. It could even suggest which car you might want to try when that lease is up. The system will be able to integrate new apps as they are developed, too. And don’t worry if you have an Apple iPhone; McClelland said it will work on the new system.

The partnership also offers Ford benefits outside the car, too. Google will use its capabilities in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data to increase efficiencies in everything from manufacturing employee training to plant equipment performance.

“As Ford continues the most profound transformation in our history with electrification, connectivity, and self-driving, Google and Ford coming together establishes an innovation powerhouse truly able to deliver a superior experience for our customers and modernize our business,” said Jim Farley, president and CEO of Ford.
But the key takeaway here might be that car buyers today are more concerned about how their phones connect to their car than almost anything else about the car itself.

“It’s very critical, for sure,” said Kristin Kolodge, J.D. Power’s executive director of driver interaction and human machine interface. “It’s one of the top considerations when consumers are shopping for cars. Consumers are more loyal to their smartphone than they are vehicle manufacturers.”

How much will things like this affect the car business in the future?

“Oh, tremendously,” said George Peterson, president of AutoPacific, an Orange County, California, automotive specialty firm specializing in market research and product planning consulting. “This is where the battleground is right now—it’s in the center stack (on the dashboard), and then the interconnectivity between you, your tablets, your iPhones, and the car. It’s these things that are becoming critically important.”

Ford Motor Co. says every model in its European lineup will be available either as a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) or EV by mid 2026, and also said its entire passenger lineup is going to be fully electric by 2030. The company also said its commercial vehicle range will be zero-emissions capable, all-electric, or plug-in hybrid, by 2024, with two-thirds of its commercial vehicle sales expected to be EV or plug-in hybrid by 2030. Recall last November, when in the U.S. Ford announced its electric E-Transit delivery van.

The news comes after the company reported a profit in Europe in the fourth quarter last year. Ford said it would invest at least $22 billion globally in electrification through 2025, nearly twice the company’s previous EV investment plans.

Ford said it is committing $1 billion to renovate its European headquarters in Cologne, Germany, and the plant, which makes the Fiesta, is changing over to become the Ford Cologne Electrification Centre, producing the company’s “first European-built, volume, all-electric passenger vehicle for European customers” in 2023. Ford of Europe boss Stuart Rowley said the company plans to offer “an exceptional range of electrified vehicles, supported by customer-centric digital services and experiences.”

That new EV is expected to sit atop the Volkswagen Group’s MEB electric architecture. MEB is also used under the VW ID.3 and ID.4, not to mention various Audis, Skodas, and Seats, as part of the platform-sharing agreement between Ford and VW. Ford says it has the option of producing a second EV at Cologne, and says it will have more details soon.


Ford’s new EV is expected to sit atop VW’s MEB electric architecture, also used under the VW ID.3 and ID.4. VOLKSWAGEN“Ford’s plans for Europe are in no small part enabled by the partnership with Volkswagen and planned use of the VW MEB platform for European Ford products,” Stephanie Brinley, principal analyst at IHS Markit, told Autoweek. “Not all of Ford’s European battery electric and electrified vehicle production will use the VW platform, but it will be a significant contributor.”


Where does the U.S. market fit into what Ford says is its “fully electric” future? “Fully” should include the U.S., no? Seems logical to us.

Ford officials told Autoweek that the company hasn’t set a specific date yet to go all-electric in the U.S. “But we are choosing a path that is accelerating us to a zero-emissions future,” the official continued, “by investing more than $22 billion [referenced above] to electrify our most iconic nameplates and working to be carbon neutral company wide by 2050.”

Meanwhile a Ford source said it is not a matter of if, but when. Brinley told us, “At the moment that partnership does not extend to products to be offered in the U.S. While Ford may ultimately make a similar statement for the U.S., the European announcement doesn’t mean Ford is quite ready to do the same for here.”

She also talked about Ford’s doubling its investment into EVs from $11 billion to $22 billion through 2025 and said she expects there will be “further announcements as to how that money will be spent on manufacturing investment over time.”

Ford previously announced all its models will be equipped with infotainment and connectivity software provided by Google, ditching today’s Sync-branded platform.

We’ll have more as it develops.

Ford may have the Mustang Mach-E at the moment, but it's not bound to be the only electric SUV we'll see from the automaker in the next few years. Ford signed a deal with Volkswagen some time ago to cooperate on the development of a number of models, including pickups and vans, and as a part of that deal Ford will get access to the MEB toolkit that underpins a variety of electric models from Volkswagen AG, including the ID.4 that just arrived at VW dealers a few weeks ago.

For what kind of vehicle does Ford plan to use the MEB platform first?
Related Story

EPA Confirms VW ID.4 Gets 260 Miles of RangeAutocar got an early glimpse of what Ford's first MEB-based electric model could look like via some spy photos, believed to show a clay-covered full-scale model of an electric Ford SUV due in 2023. The compact sport utility shown mostly under wraps appears far boxier than the Mach-E, and is believed to show a Puma-sized model positioned close to the ID.4 in dimensions.

While the name and final design of the Ford model will likely be a mystery for some time, we already have some idea on the specs since it will be an MEB-based model, after all. This means we're likely to see a three-battery lineup, ranging from 48 kWh to 62 kWh to 82 kWh, with a range of 260 miles and an output of 201 hp at the top end, using the EPA rating of the 82-kWh ID.4 as a guide, as well as a choice of rear- or all-wheel drive. The MEB's 125-kW fast-charging battery architecture should also allow the Ford to juice up to 80% in 30 minutes.

Autocar expects this 2023 Ford model to share the ID.4's wheelbase length, even though the overall length of the overhangs could vary quite a bit. It remains to be seen just how far from the ID lineup Ford will take this MEB-based model, and just how distinct it will be on the inside and the outside from the its Zwickau siblings.
This particular Ford will be produced at the automaker's plant in Cologne, Germany, notes Autocar, which is currently undergoing a $1 billion transformation into the automaker's main EV factory for Europe. This means we're not likely to see this Ford model in the U.S. at all.

North American MEB plaftorm production is likely to take place only at Volkswagen's Chattanooga plant, and won't start for a while as Zwickau-produced MEB models stream stateside. So this particular Ford model is very likely to stay confined to the European market entirely.

The solid-state battery developer Solid Power received a cash injection from Ford and BMW as both companies increased their investments and gained seats on the board—and quicker access to the tech once it gets closer to production-worthy levels.

Solid-state batteries are simple in principle. Instead of a traditional liquid electrolyte, solid-state batteries use a solid electrolyte. Without a heavy electrolyte, solid-state batteries can be smaller and lighter than traditional batteries. As you’d imagine with a vehicle, a smaller and lighter battery that offers similar power to a larger battery is a good thing.
Solid Power uses a sulfide-based solid electrolyte for its battery cells. Almost as important as having the technology, Ford and BMW both confirmed last year that Solid Power could make these battery cells, as verified by both automakers.

“By simplifying the design of solid-state versus lithium-ion batteries, we’ll be able to increase vehicle range, improve interior space and cargo volume, and ultimately deliver lower costs and better value for customers,” said Ted Miller, Ford’s manager of electrification subsystems and power supply research. “We look forward to delivering these improvements and working with Solid Power to seamlessly and quickly integrate their sulfide-based all-solid-state battery cells into existing lithium-ion cell production processes more efficiently than oxide-based solid-state battery cell makers can.”


With the ink dry on the agreement, Ford and BMW will receive 100-Ah cells for testing and integration into future products. It looks like Ford and BMW will start the vehicle integration process in 2022, though from there, it’s hard to pinpoint when exactly this technology will trickle down into the driveway of consumers.

It’s safe to assume that both companies want advanced battery technology as soon as possible. Ford claims that it will offer an all-electric European lineup by 2030, with BMW claiming it wants at least 50 percent of its global sales to be electric by 2030. We can imagine that a huge breakthrough with batteries would only make those goals easier to hit for both companies.

Ford Motor Co. said that driving an “enhanced, upgraded vehicle will now become a regular experience” for its owners because the automaker plans to deliver new features and improvements over the air (OTA) through its updated wireless software tech the company is calling Power-Up.

Ford said the first Power-Up software updates for F-150 and Mustang Mach-E in North America began in March and that customers with new vehicles that have Power-Up capability can identify their preferences and vehicle issues. Ford said its engineers can translate the information into quality and capability improvements.

“Software updates are common across billions of connected devices but not yet for vehicles,” said Alex Purdy, Ford’s director of business operations and enterprise connectivity. “Ford Power-Up software updates will change that by quickly bringing it to millions of people. We’ve invested in more seamless technology so updates can happen while you’re sleeping – making your next ride a better experience.”

Over the last two months, 2021 F-150 and Mustang Mach-E customers have begun receiving Power-Up enhancements.

The company said its new networked, second-gen electrical architecture and new tech stack are the foundation for Power-Up’s software updates. “These quick and easy wireless upgrades help enhance features, quality, experiences, capability and convenience,” Ford said. The company said the updates can be applied to the “vast majority of vehicle computer modules – more than 110 on higher end models – these upgrades can help improve the ownership experience and may help reduce the need for repair trips.”

Ford said many Power-Up software updates will be invisible to customers thanks to a tech platform that installs much of the new software in the background. Further, Ford said many updates require little to no action by the customer because SYNC 4 technology keeps current software running until the new version is ready to go.

For updates that do require reboots, customers can schedule them at convenient times, such as overnight, Ford said, adding that some updates can take less than two minutes but others could take longer.

Ford also said it working with Amazon in preparation for what the companies are calling “the industry’s broadest rollout of the embedded Alexa hands-free experience to date,” with complimentary connectivity for up to three years. “This year alone, the same type of Alexa voice command functionality many people have in their homes will be wired to 700,000 Ford vehicles in the U.S. and Canada, followed by millions more over the next few years,” the company said. Ford did not say how much Alexa will cost after three years.

Ford said it plans to work with Amazon to deliver enhanced features and new services over the next six years, including exploring the development of the first custom Alexa skills for Ford commercial vehicles, using Alexa artificial intelligence to help business owners and fleet managers stay in touch with their teams in the field.

“We’re excited to work with Amazon to bring powerful new AI-enabled experiences to Ford customers,” says Purdy. “We believe in the power of teaming up with other innovators. Bringing Ford’s vehicle know-how together with Amazon’s technology expertise will deliver in-vehicle capabilities that help our retail customers travel more enjoyably and with ease, while helping our commercial customers operate more profitably.”

Alexa will initially be delivered through Power-Up software updates beginning this fall for Bronco, Edge, F-150, Mustang Mach-E and Super Duty customers with SYNC 4 tech in the U.S. and Canada, with other regions to follow.

Ford said its customers will be able to ask Alexa to perform tasks such as control smart home devices, place calls, locate parking and more through SYNC 4’s hands-free, voice-initiated interactions. Ford said customers can interact with their vehicles naturally and say things like, “Alexa, find the closest gas station” or “Alexa, play my road trip playlist” or “Alexa, call Mom.”

Ford said its customers will be able to access Amazon’s voice AI and features both inside and outside their vehicle.

The automaker said that over the last two months, 2021 F-150 and Mustang Mach-E customers have begun receiving Ford Power-Up enhancements. Mustang Mach-E customers in North America and Europe soon will get Sketch -- also referred to as Notes in vehicle menus – for touchscreen drawing and simple gaming.

Ford also said its Power-Up software updates will “quickly expand to nearly all vehicle computer modules, enabling an update of Ford Co-Pilot360 Technology that adds BlueCruise5 hands-free highway driving to Intelligent Cruise Control.”

The company said this will be delivered to properly equipped F-150s and Mustang Mach-Es with additional software purchased later this year.

“We believe in the power of teaming up with other innovators. Bringing Ford’s vehicle know-how together with Amazon’s technology expertise will deliver in-vehicle capabilities that help our retail customers travel more enjoyably and with ease, while helping our commercial customers operate more profitably.”

Because being bombarded with roadside signage while taking a leisurely Sunday drive isn’t enough, Ford has patented a new system that uses a vehicle’s cameras to detect billboards and then pull them up on a car’s infotainment display as inescapable in-vehicle advertisements.

Billboards are an effective way to subliminally make a driver hungry for an approaching fast food restaurant, or convince them they need to pull off the road and visit a nearby outlet mall for some discount Reeboks. What billboards aren’t great at is providing detailed information like a phone number, an address, or a website, as even large signage often isn’t visible long enough for a driver or passenger to memorize important details. That’s the problem Ford is trying to solve with this new system it’s patenting—although the larger potential here is concerning.
Screenshot: United States Patent and Trademark OfficeMany vehicles now come standard with built-in cameras that are either used for autonomous driving features, security, or for providing a driver with a view outside the vehicle to make parking easier. What Ford wants to do is leverage those cameras to also keep an eye out for passing billboards, and then useimage recognition to put a copy of the advertisement on a vehicle’s infotainment screens so it’s visible to the driver and passengers for longer. The system would also intelligently analyze the content of the billboard and generate hyperlinks, either for easily dialing a posted phone number, or for bringing up a company’s website to see additional information.

Ford could potentially even work with advertising agencies, or the companies responsible for billboards, so that upcoming advertisements would be provided ahead of time to train the system so it could better recognize what it’s seeing, and even provide customized URLs or additional content that loads as a result. You might be driving by a billboard hawking a Whopper, and the passengers in the vehicle could be given the option to watch a Burger King ad. The key words being “given the option,” because one day that might not be the case.

Similar to the cheaper version of Amazon’s Kindle e-reader that’s discounted thanks to ads appearing on the lockscreen, one day your family’s sedan might come with a hefty discount if you’re willing to endure random ads popping up the dashboard every time you pass a billboard. Or, if you look at it another way, if you want a Kindle without ads, you have to cough up an extra $20, and that could very well one day be the case with cars. If you don’t want every passing billboard popping up on your dashboard screen, then maybe you’ll have toconsider the upgraded “highway peace and quiet” package.