Ford Evos
This year’s Frankfurt Motor Show saw the debut of Ford’s Evos, a concept car showcasing some of Ford’s developing “smart mode” hybrid electric vehicle technologies. Unfortunately, being a concept, it will never see the inside of a production plant.
Sad really when you look at it, it’s modern, stylish and looks like it could blend well into Ford’s stable. Luckily Ford has identified many features from the Evos that they will be incorporating into future production.
“The Ford Evos Concept unites three key elements which are at the core of our One Ford global product strategy: outstanding design, smart technologies and fuel economy leadership,” said Derrick Kuzak, group vice president of Global Product Development.
“The possibilities are fascinating when we explore how to enable a seamless lifestyle between home, office and car linked by access to the driver’s personal information,” said Mascarenas, chief technical officer and vice president of Ford Research and Innovation.
The new technology which Ford has termed “cloud connectivity” will enable future Ford vehicles to take the experience to the next level.
Drawing from a detailed understanding of the driver’s preferences and driving habits, the Ford Evos Concept combines the driver’s personal information with additional information stored in the “cloud”, such as the driver’s work schedule and local traffic or weather conditions.
This information provides a personalised and seamless experience as the driver transitions in and out of the car.
For example the car streams music and news into the car based on what you watch/listen to in your home. Cloud-based software identifies your tastes and adjusts the in-car stream accordingly.
The car also has a smart health seat that monitors driver physical workload and adjusts in-vehicle services automatically. For example, if the driver is overly stressed, the car might pre-brake when approaching other vehicles or turn the volume down slightly on the radio to minimize distraction.
“We’re researching how we can use patterns or preferences set by the driver to make life simpler,” said Mascarenas. “The car gets to know you and can act as a personal assistant to handle some of the usual routines of a daily commute.”
Whilst the exciting new developments in technology would appear to be the major drawing points to the use of the Evos in future builds, the body design will also leave a few heads turned.
The Evos features spectacular hinged gullwing-style doors, both front and rear, provide outstanding access to the spacious four-seat cabin.
Having all four doors opens leaves the car resembling a lady bug in flight, once closed the car takes on a more dominant and fierce appearance in line with Fords Kinetic design principles currently being used with the new Fiesta and Focus.
Justin Stephenson