Mach-E Rally First Drive Review: Bringing Us Dreams Of The WRC

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.

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.

Bidirectional charging is the ability to draw current from your household and when needed, reverse the process and send electricity back into the home. The F-150 Lightning has always had this ability, and Ford has explained it as a potential power source in the event of a grid power outage. Ford is considering harnessing this ability to lower a household’s electricity bill. Benna Ford explains how this is possible. This past December, Ford announced they will partner with a company called Resideo Technologies. This partnership is meant to explore an energy management system that pairs the electric pickup truck's battery with a Resideo smart thermostat used to control a home's heating and cooling system, which is usually a home’s most energy-intensive system. Taking Advantage of Tiered Energy Plans The system would benefit locations with an electricity supplier with a tiered energy cost program in which the company charges more per kilowatt for peak usage periods. The peak period can often be in the late afternoon to early evening when both work and home locations draw power for climate control systems. For instance, the electricity supplier may charge more per kilowatt from 4:00 pm to 9:00 pm than the rest of the day. The idea is that if an F-150 Lightning is home for the day during all or part of this time, it can supply electricity for the climate system during the peak period and draw from it during non-peak hours. Homes with solar can further benefit from vehicle charging while the electricity is essentially free and then having the vehicle supply power during the peak period after sundown. The value of this ability would depend greatly on the habits of individual households and the timing of their use of their EV and climate control system. If used on a widespread basis, such a system could even reduce strain on the grid during these peak periods, theoretically to the point where there are no longer peak usage periods. Year-Long International Feasibility Study Ford will explore the potential for this capability through the 2024 calendar year. Part of the program involves collaborating with Volkswagen to test the system on an entire housing estate in Sweden. Volkswagen presently sells no bidirectional capable models in the United States. If the program yields positive results, and Ford thinks the results can apply to the United States, they will likely expand bidirectional charging to the Mustang Mach-E and future EVs. When the time comes, Benna Ford will be sure to have information on how you could benefit from the idea. In the meantime, the F-150 Lightning, Kelley Blue Book’s winner for Electric Truck Best Buy, and fully bidirectional charging capability are available at Benna Ford right now. See how the EV pickup truck could fit into and benefit your life.