Lampposts in Liverpool Offer a Guiding Light in the Electric Evolution

Navigation systems have clearly changed the way we get from place to place. The process of unfolding, reading, and attempting to re-fold maps has about as much relevance to the most recent generations of drivers as slide rules have to engineers. Most of us have navigation apps on our smartphones, and if your car was new within the past five years or so, you could likely put that app on a center touchscreen. That being the case, Benna Ford finds there are good reasons to have Ford’s Connected Navigation system in your vehicle. With Ford’s Connected Navigation system, you no longer need to connect your phone to your car. You don’t have to worry about its battery state of charge; in fact, you don’t have to have your phone with you at all. Most importantly, however, you don’t have to depend on cell phone reception. You don’t have to travel too far south into the Wisconsin farmland or west into the Minnesota farmland before cell reception becomes spotty. Guidance from Above The Ford Connected Navigation system bypasses cell towers and picks up its signal directly from satellites above, so your system will always be connected. The cloud-based system remains current with real-time traffic updates and any rerouting due to weather conditions, road hazards, or slowdowns from traffic accidents. If you had one of the early in-vehicle navigation systems, you would be happy to know that physical updating with DVDs or some other form of physical data transfer is a thing of the past. The cloud-based database is automatically updated, so the system will automatically know if a particular location has moved or gone out of business or if a newer franchise has opened closer to you. The system is also voice-activated, so you can issue a destination verbally (and safely) without having to stop and punch in numbers and letters. You can also store your favorite and frequently traveled destinations. You may already know where they are, but the system can tell you the best way to get there from any location, while considering traffic and possible detours when applicable. Towing Assistance If you tow, Ford’s Connected Navigation system can be particularly beneficial. By entering your trailer profile, including size and weight, you can avoid conditions such as narrow roads, tight turns, weight-limited or low bridges, and overpasses, making trailer towing that much easier. EV Integration If you have one of Ford’s electric models, Ford’s Connected Navigation is even more useful, as the system can interact with your range information and battery system. The Intelligent range feature will give you real-time updates based on traffic and route conditions. If you are towing with your EV, it can take the trailer’s weight and wind resistance into account as well. The system can help you find your next public charging station. The system is also integrated with your Ford EV’s battery conditioning system so that it will know when the charging station is close and warm or cool the battery as needed to enable peak charging performance when you arrive. When you purchase your Benna Ford model equipped with the Ford Connected Navigation system, you will have a complimentary 90-day, 1-year, or 1-year trial subscription, depending on the model and model year. After that time, the subscription is just $80 a year. Visit Benna Ford and see the benefits of Ford’s Connected Navigation system.

The Ford Mach-E is one of the best-selling and most loved electric vehicles on the market, especially since there is a trim level and set of options for everyone. With the introduction of the Mach-E Rally, Ford has given customers one of the most unique offerings around, especially in the EV space. Recently, Emme Hall from Autoblog got the opportunity to put this EV Rally car to the test at the DirtFish Rally Driving School in Snoqualmie, WA, about 30 miles outside of Seattle. What Makes a Mach-E Rally? Starting off, the Mach-E Rally gets the same dual motor 91 kWh battery as the GT trim level. The Rally has 480 horsepower and 700 lb-ft of torque with eAWD. Ford claims a 0-60 mph time of a staggering 3.4 seconds while still getting an EPA-estimated 265 miles of driving range. To make sure the Mach-E is ready for the rally course, Ford added an extra inch lift with skid plates to protect the motors that sit in both the front and rear of the vehicle, as well as a giant rear spoiler and larger 385mm front brake rotors with red Brembo calipers. Standard white 19-inch rally-style wheels are wrapped in 235/55 R19 Michelin CrossClimate2 all-season tires. There Was No Raining That Could Spoil This Fun Parade The day that Emme arrived, it was raining, and the courses were wet, muddy, and very slippery. But, before she was let loose, she was given some time on the smaller rally courses at the DirtFish Rally School to test out the various driving modes primarily meant for the street. This helped her understand the differences in the MagneRide suspension tuning, power delivery, braking, and handling performance once she switched to the RallySport mode. In the ultimate street mode, Unbridled, she noticed how hard the traction control works to keep the Mach-E settled and not get too wild. RallySport Mode After a few laps to get ready, she was taken to the larger course to really put the Rally through its paces, saying, “We move to the larger track and I select the new RallySport mode. Now I have the full shebang at my disposal. The steering gets much heftier and communicates a bit more feel into the hands. It’s easier to tell when the tires are close to the edge of grip. RallySport mode doesn’t turn off all the nannies, but traction control is definitely less heavy-handed. Oh, and there isn’t any lift-off throttle brake regeneration. I have to use the mechanical brakes to get this 5,000-pound beast to slow down before a turn.” Loads of Torque and An Amazing All-Wheel Drive System Driving harder and harder with each lap, Ms. Hall continued to grow her confidence with the Mach-E Rally and enjoyed how much power was on tap since it’s an EV with no lag in throttle response: “ RallySport mode brings the torque in much quicker, and it’s very linear. Combined with the single-speed transmission, it means that I always have power coming out of a turn. There is no shifting here, no turbo lag — just getting on the throttle quickly, squeezing out the power and letting the all-wheel-drive system claw its way around the turn. Do I induce oversteer a few times? Heck yeah, I do! But a bit of countersteering and patience keep the Mach-E from coming around all the way.” The Mach-E Can Do It All It seems pretty evident that Emme Hall and Autoblog enjoyed their time exploring the limits of the 2024 Ford Mach-E Rally. When such a fun and unique vehicle is made, it’s designed and engineered by people who truly love what they are creating. That’s exactly what makes the Mach-E Rally so brilliant. How many companies are willing to sell customers an electric rally crossover SUV? Instead of asking why, Donna Dickson, Chief Engineer, Mach-E, said, “Why not?” Why Choose Benna Ford? At Benna Ford, we offer our customers some of the best prices and services. With more than 100 new and used vehicles to choose from, our outstanding sales team and finance department will work hard to ensure you drive away happy. Our fantastic service department will take care of your new-to-you vehicle as if it were their own.

Ford electric vehicle customers are now eligible to get a free Tesla Supercharger adapter thanks to a visionary relationship that allows customers to take advantage of the more than 2,000 Tesla Supercharger stations with over 20,000 actual ports to charge an EV in America and Canada. A Word From Ford Jim Farley, President and CEO, Ford Motor Company, announced the news on Twitter, saying, “When we announced Ford EVs would get access to Tesla Superchargers, I said we'd send customers a Fast Charging Adapter. I'm pleased to confirm that eligible Mustang Mach E & F150 Lightning owners in the U.S. + Canada can reserve a complimentary adapter starting soon. This is our way of saying thank you! We want to make charging more convenient for our Ford EV owners, so we're excited to add Tesla chargers and will continue growing our BlueOval Charge Network. More details soon.” A Partnership To Benefit All This partnership allows Ford EV drivers to enjoy the cars and trucks even more than they already do, knowing that there are thousands of places where they can easily charge their vehicles on the go. BlueOval Charge Network The BlueOval Charge Network from Ford was already the most extensive public charging network in the United States, with over 106,000 chargers available nationwide. Adding the ability to charge via a Tesla Supercharger makes it easier for drivers to feel more freedom when driving longer distances. NACS Charge Port The adapter will allow the Ford F-150 Lightning and Mustang Mach-E to charge on Tesla V3 and above Superchargers. Starting in 2025, all Ford electric vehicles will feature the North American Charging Standard (NACS) charge port so that customers will no longer have to get an adapter to charge their vehicles on any other charging network. Strong EV Sales For 2023, Ford announced they had record EV sales and were now the number 2 best-selling electric vehicle automaker in the United States. Each EV model line enjoyed an increase in sales, with the F-150 Lightning rising 55% compared to 2022, while the Mustang Mach-E enjoyed a modest bump of 3%, and the E-Transit work van jumped by 18%. At Benna Ford, we offer our customers some of the best prices and services. With more than 100 new and used vehicles to choose from, our outstanding sales team and finance department will work hard to make sure you drive away happy. Our fantastic service department will take care of your new-to-you vehicle as if it were their own.