Detroit, MI – Ford plans to introduce its version of a car that parallel parks itself in mid-2009 with its new Lincoln MKT luxury crossover and the Lincoln MKS large sedan.
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It expects the system to get a warmer reception than the first self-parking car, the widely mocked Lexus LS 460L luxury sedan. “This is technology that works and makes people’s lives easier,” said Mark Fields, president of Ford’s North and South American operations. Fields calls it part of a “steady stream” of advanced new features Ford is introducing to rebuild the company’s image as a technical leader.
“We’re democratizing technology,” he said, citing Sync, which provides voice control of mobile phones and audio systems, and a system on the 2010 Ford Fusion midsize sedan that alerts drivers when a vehicle is in their blind spot.
Lexus introduced its self-parking system on the $63,675 LS 460 luxury sedan a couple of years ago. The system is part of a $6,345 option package on the 2009 LS 460. Ford won’t reveal prices for Lincolns with the system yet, but Fields said the vehicles will cost far less than the big Lexus sedan.
Lexus’ complicated park-assist system quickly became the butt of jokes because of its slow and inconsistent operation.
Ford hopes to avoid that fate by using ultrasonic sensors rather than cameras to provide its system with more precise data for parking.
The system is faster and more accurate than that in the Lexus, said Ali Jammoul, Ford’s chief engineer for chassis engineering and steering systems. Ford calls it Active Park Assist.
Once activated, the system measures parking spaces and alerts the driver when the car passes one the right size. With one touch, it then backs the car into the space, Jammoul said.
Ford said it spent about 18 months developing the system with supplier Valeo
now they need a car that moves itself during alternate side of the street parking days.
then detroit will be back in business.
Sounds like an investment strategy to lure investors to their company while the others talk about shutting down for at least a month etc. My guess is that it’s just a marketing ploy to be withdrawn/postponed at a later date possibly blaming it on the government for requiring them to concentrate on other, fuel efficienies and not on frills and luxuries.
And the car will still not know how to park in boro park.
B”H
Wow, soon they’ll have a car that drives itself and pays its own tickets!
Stupid. with all this genius technology why are we still dependent on foreign oil?
We should all be thankful to the Ford motor Co. for keeping the jewish woman’s needs in mind.
This gives me hope that my bumper won’t be peeling when I park in Boro Park in the coming years, by eratic parkers, the cars will park without taking off the neighbor’s bumper.
puhleeeeeeeaze, i see many men who dont know how to park. and then there are the men who simply feel they dont need to make the effort to park properly. they just sort of angle in and leave half the car sticking out so that th etraffic flow has to go around HIM.
sooooooo before you cast stones at the women drivers, look at the men as well.
In todays economy there is nothing better to waste ones money on, while other automakers ask for bailouts.
What they really need is system to auto park their brain instead of running around in circles looking for where to waste some more money.