MyFord Touch Adds Eco-Route Feature

American manufacturer Ford announced yesterday that its new MyFord Touch in-vehicle system will be able to show drivers how they can go for more miles with the same quantity of fuel, thereby saving fuel costs. Moreover, the system’s navigation feature now has an Eco-Route option that calculates the most fuel efficient route a driver can take to get from A to B.

Ford’s “coaching” concept was first pioneered on its SmartGauge with EcoGuide cluster for the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid and Mercury Milan Hybrid as well as the 2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid.

The new MyFord Touch technology is capable of offering three navigation options: Fastest, Shortest and Eco-Route. The Eco-Route is the most fuel efficient option, achieving up to a 15 percent improvement in fuel economy during tests,

"When drivers use Eco-Route – particularly in combination with MyFord Touch's fuel-economy feedback and fuel-efficient driving techniques – they can achieve a noticeable increase in fuel efficiency," Jennifer Brace-Mezigian, Ford user interface design engineer, said in a release.

In addition to its Eco-Route feature, MyFord Touch enables drivers to monitor and track their vehicle's real-time fuel economy performance and mpg averages for the past 5, 10 and 30 minutes in the form of a bar chart next to the fuel gauge on the display. Drivers can customize the amount of information provided to meet their needs and hone their eco-driving skills over time.

"MyFord Touch not only gives drivers information they can use to improve their driving habits, but also expands on that capability by engaging the navigation system to give drivers a variety of options," Brace-Mezigian said. "The benefits will be greater because MyFord Touch and MyLincoln Touch will be widely available in the future."

MyFord Touch launches this summer on the 2011 Ford Edge and will be available globally on the 2012 Ford Focus. MyLincoln Touch will be standard equipment on new Lincoln vehicles beginning with the 2011 Lincoln MKX.