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Ford's new dashboard shows your driving's impact on the planet
The Big Three promised to go green as part of their bailout deal. But Ford is starting in small ways, like with a new dashboard for their popular Fusion designed to encourage drivers to become more fuel-efficient by turning driving into a green game.
The company's extensive research suggests drivers interested in fuel efficiency treat earth-friendly driving as a sport, with fuel efficiency as a "score." The new display would give those drivers all the parameters they need to beat their "high score" — but not so much they'd be distracted from the driving task at hand and wrap their Fusion around a tree they'd normally be hugging.
That means putting an emphasis on graphics rather than numbers. On the Fusion's dash, fuel efficiency is represented by a vine. The better your efficiency, the more buds and leaves grow on the vine. Tromp on gas, Larry Leadfoot, and watch the vine wither and die.
By Austin at 11:36 AM ON 01/23/09
This is a super cool dashboard I think. I love how functional and customizable it is. I talked to the Ford rep at Barrett Jackson this year and took a video of him showing it off. The link is here if you are interested. http://blog.62mph.com/2009/01/22/2010-fusion-hybrid-dashboard/
By Mihos at 12:35 PM ON 01/23/09
No thanks...
By BoxerFanatic at 6:21 PM ON 01/23/09
like the idea of a digital configurable dashboard showing adaptive analog-style indicators.
Hope it takes the next step to HUD, or look-through transparent information displays, to keep your head up and out of the car, rather than looking at the dash information.
Hope it uses OLED, or other technology that doesn't require as bright of a backlight. That could seriously hamper outward night vision while driving.
But I could really do without the eco-nanny stuff. Honestly. I am going to drive where I need to drive, quit bugging me about false premise and un-provable environmentalism.
By Playos at 10:57 PM ON 01/23/09
Um... actually Ford didn't participate in the bailout... they lobbied for GM and Chrysler but didn't take any loans or cash. Fords just doing this cause they can.
By B at 6:15 PM ON 01/24/09
"...un-provable environmentalism?" What more do you need to see that would show that the world is warming due to human activity? Perhaps another ice shelf melting, the extinction of the polar bear?
Let's say all the concern about the environment is misplaced. What would happen? We would have worked for greater energy interdependence, cleaner air, less-threatened species by warming, etc so what's the loss, really?
By your reasoning you leave a burning house only when you saw the flames licking at your heels, as opposed to the smoke, which is generally an indicator of fire.
By normalguy at 9:26 PM ON 01/25/09
This is so dumb. No man in his right mind would buy it.
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