Driver Assist Tech Interest Growing Among Midsize Sedan Buyers; Ford Fusion Offers Unprecedented Level of Content

• Preliminary data suggest all-new Ford Fusion shoppers are especially interested in the Driver Assist package that features advanced technologies previously limited to more expensive luxury vehicles

• New Ford Fusion build-and-price test site shows growing interest in backup cameras and MyFord Touch^®

• Midsize segment buyers may seek more technology as affordability makes advanced technology accessible in the segment

 

DEARBORN, Mich., Aug. 7, 2012 – Advanced technology hasn’t traditionally played a large role in the purchase consideration in the midsize sedan segment, but this may be changing, according to consumers searching online for more information about Ford’s all-new Fusion sedan.

 

Of the more than 155,000 online shoppers who built and priced the 2013 Ford Fusion on a recent test site, nearly 25 percent opted for the Driver Assist package that includes Ford’s most advanced technology such as Blind Spot Information System (BLIS^®), Lane-Keeping Aid, automatic high beams and rain-sensing windshield wipers.

 

“Even if it was just out of curiosity, we were surprised to see how many in our survey built out a Fusion online with the Driver Assist package,” said Samantha Hoyt, Ford Fusion Marketing manager. “Technology traditionally hasn’t been a big driver for consideration with midsize intenders, but this could be changing as we increase the affordability of these features.”

 

Backup cameras and MyFord Touch^® in particular are drawing increasing interest with online shoppers. Ford Marketing has found online shoppers searching for Fusion online often include “backup camera” in their search.

 

Ford is aggressively positioning its new Fusion as a leader in driver assist technologies. Fusion Titanium includes standard features like MyFord Touch and the rear view camera and has other driver assist features available like adaptive cruise control and the Lane-Keeping System. These types of technologies are typically only available on luxury makes as part of very expensive option packages.

 

The all-new Fusion brings together the most complete suite of technology at the most affordable price point ever offered. In order to get all of these capabilities from BMW, a customer would have to step up to the top-of-the-line 760Li at more than $140,000, and even at nearly $100,000 a Mercedes-Benz S550 customer can’t get active park assist. Every one of these features is available in the Fusion SE, Titanium and Hybrid. In fact, a customer can order a Fusion SE with these features for $29,885. The new Fusion has a base price of $21,700 – the same price as the current model with an automatic transmission.

 

“Research shows customers are looking for more value from their vehicles,” says Hoyt. “From Auto Start-Stop to the Lane-Keeping System, an automobile’s content is becoming a top factor when purchasing a new vehicle.

 

“Numerous Fusion packages provide unprecedented amounts of content and features over the previous model-year car, which continues to be a top seller and has enjoyed four record sales months in 2012,” Hoyt adds.

 

Where style meets substance

The all-new Fusion offers a portfolio of driver assistance and convenience technologies based on sensors, cameras and radar that enable the car to see and respond.

 

The 2013 Ford Fusion can help drivers maintain proper lane position, adjust vehicle speed to changing traffic conditions, identify suitable parking spaces and then help parallel park – even aiding drivers backing out of a parking space where visibility is obstructed. Specific technologies include Lane-Keeping System, adaptive cruise control, active park assist and BLIS with cross-traffic alert.

 

For more on the new Ford Fusion, check out FordFusionStory.com, a special mobile site featuring plenty of unique content including articles, videos and graphics that are easily shareable directly from your smartphone, tablet or computer browser to Facebook, Twitter, Google+ or blogs.

Never Drive Past a Deal Again with ROXIMITY, the New Personalized, Location-Aware Retail App for Ford SYNC

• ROXIMITY – a new location-aware retail app – launches along with compatibility with Ford SYNC^®AppLink^™
• Developers of ROXIMITY won the SYNC App Developer Challenge at the 2011 TechCrunch Disrupt Hackathon
• ROXIMITY team recently selected for prestigious TechStars entrepreneurial business accelerator program in Boulder, Colo.

 

DEARBORN, Mich., Aug. 8, 2012 – Want to know where the best nearby deals are for pizza, an oil change, or tickets to your favorite event before it’s too late and you’ve driven past? Now it’s possible, with the release of ROXIMITY, a real-time, location-aware alert service that lets users know of surrounding deals and specials.

 

Today ROXIMITY, winner of the Ford SYNC^® App Developer Challenge at the 2011 TechCrunch Disrupt Hackathon, launched its new app for iOS devices. The app is compatible with SYNC AppLink^™, Ford’s hands-free, voice-controlled mobile connectivity technology.

 

“The launch of ROXIMITY is truly exciting for us, since it was the SYNC in-car experience that sparked the team to go from idea to reality,” said Doug VanDagens, global director of Ford Connected Services. “Finding and supporting startups like ROXIMITY is what will keep Ford at the forefront of in-car connectivity innovations. With ROXIMITY we become the first automaker to offer a personalized daily deal location service.”

 

ROXIMITY enables registered users to input individual preferences and interests. Then, as users drive, walk or bike past a restaurant or store that might have a deal or special they would find appealing, a push notification is sent to their phone informing them of what they are near.

 

With SYNC AppLink compatibility, ROXIMITY provides a convenient way to improve a consumer’s time behind the wheel while running errands. When drivers connect their phone to SYNC via USB and activate AppLink, they can simply use their voice to ask ROXIMITY for any special deals nearby within designated retail categories, including restaurants, home services, spas and salons, and men’s or women’s clothing.

 

“While driving, users can simply say, ‘lunch deals,’ and their favorite lunch options will be read out loud,” says Danny Newman, co-founder and CEO of ROXIMITY. “There’s nothing like ROXIMITY. Other deal services offer coupons for the entire metropolitan area or for things that are not relevant to you. ROXIMITY is personalized and will provide you what you want, when you want it.”

 

As winner of the SYNC App Developer Challenge at the 2011 TechCrunch Disrupt Hackathon, ROXIMITY was given access by Ford to the company’s SYNC AppLink application programming interface (API) so the team could integrate its new idea to be compatible with the in-vehicle connectivity system.

 

Click here to see a video of the creators of ROXIMITY.

 

In 2011, ROXIMITY was nothing more than a seed of an idea scribbled in a notebook. When Newman and his partners Austin Gayer and Joe Mease showed up at the TechCrunch Hackathon, they knew they wanted to develop that idea. They saw Ford was title sponsor of the event and looking for the next big idea, and everything just clicked.

 

“This app is really complemented by the car,” Newman explains. “We know that when you are on the road and on the go, you may want to know the best deals for food, gas and shopping. Or, you may be on a trip and don’t know the area and just need to take a quick break. ROXIMITY helps make the most of your time. It is like your own personal intelligent sidekick.”

 

ROXIMITY is the first app to have AppLink compatibility at its initial launch.

 

“It’s great to be a part of ROXIMITY from the beginning,” says Stefan Bankowski, Ford SYNC AppLink engineer. “When they pitched the idea, we knew this had the potential to be a driver’s best friend. Adding voice control to check for deals and specials adds a layer of convenience to driving, and allows drivers to keep their eyes on the road and hands on the wheel.

 

“Ford is always looking to collaborate with innovators,” Bankowski adds. “With the fast pace of development in the tech industry, we know great ideas are out there, we just need to find them and provide access to our SYNC platform, just like we did with ROXIMITY.”

 

The eight-person ROXIMITY team was recently selected for the TechStars entrepreneurial business accelerator program in Boulder, Colo. Of the more than 1,200 companies that applied, only 12 were chosen. The prestigious program invests up to $118,000 in each company, and the three-month curriculum provides intense mentoring and guidance. The culmination of the program is a demo day in which investors view the companies, hear pitches from the teams, then decide whether to contribute more to the startup business.

 

How ROXIMITY works

ROXIMITY is a free app and service that lets users choose from multiple settings to indicate the type of deal notifications they would like to receive. Users can then set text or push notification preferences for their deal alerts on a smartphone or even a “feature” phone.

 

As users interact with the app over time, the ROXIMITY platform learns their interests and patterns and becomes more aware of the offers the user will find appealing. Users have the ability to limit the number of deals ROXIMITY reports per day or week.

 

When connected through SYNC AppLink, drivers can activate ROXIMITY to verbally relay deals at their request while driving.

 

SYNC AppLink integration enables drivers to use simple voice commands to access a list of deals nearby or in specific retail categories. The voice commands and features include:

 

• “Find nearby deals” commands the app to search for all deals, regardless of category, in a predefined search radius set within the app preferences
•  “List deal categories” reminds you of all retail categories, including:

Restaurants Spa and Salon Health and Fitness Men’s Clothing Women’s Clothing Food and Grocery Bars and Clubs Treats Home Services

Auto Services Entertainment Sports Events Concerts Breakfast Lunch Dinner Late Night

• “Call Retailer” directly dials the retailer, using hands-free SYNC, allowing you to easily take advantage of the deal, such as ordering a pizza

 

With ROXIMITY, users can find and redeem hundreds of thousands of offers nationwide from favorite places such as Banana Republic, Express, GameStop, Gap, H&M, PacSun, Pottery Barn, Qdoba, The Body Shop, Williams-Sonoma and more.

Ford C-MAX Hybrid Earns 47 City, 47 Highway, 47 Combined – an EPA Rating Hat Trick; Beats Toyota Prius v by up to 7 MPG

• All-new 2013 Ford C-MAX Hybrid delivers EPA-certified 47 mpg city, 47 mpg highway ratings – 7 mpg better than Toyota Prius v on the highway – for a 47 mpg combined rating

• Ford’s first hybrid to achieve equal city and highway ratings, the versatile C-MAX Hybrid also is expected to offer 15 class-exclusive features such as the available hands-free liftgate

• C-MAX Hybrid launches this fall as part of Ford’s power of choice strategy to deliver leading fuel economy across its lineup while tripling electrified vehicle production capacity by 2013

 

DEARBORN, Mich., Aug. 7, 2012 – Ford Motor Company once again raises the hybrid fuel-economy bar with the all-new Ford C-MAX Hybrid, which is now officially EPA-certified at 47 mpg city, 47 mpg highway and 47 mpg combined – beating Toyota Prius v by up to 7 mpg.

 

The certification is significant because it makes C-MAX Hybrid the first hybrid vehicle to offer 47 mpg across the board. Also, hybrids traditionally have been more economical in city driving than on the highway, unlike conventional vehicles.

 

C-MAX Hybrid, however, returns the same fuel economy whether driving cross-country or across the city – stemming mostly from a growing list of Ford innovations that have helped the vehicle to deliver an impressive list of metrics, such as a top speed of up to 62 mph in EV mode.

 

“The all-new C-MAX Hybrid is a great symbol of how Ford has transformed into a fuel-economy and technology leader with 47 mpg across the board and a highway rating 7 mpg better than Toyota Prius v,” said Ford Vice President of Powertrain Engineering Joe Bakaj. “We’ve done this with innovation – represented by nearly 500 hybrid patents – while driving costs down 30 percent so we can bring these fuel-saving vehicles to more customers.”

 

Among the Ford innovations helping C-MAX Hybrid drivers enjoy maximum fuel economy are the patented SmartGauge^® with EcoGuide that coaches for top fuel efficiency by providing growing green leaves in the gauge cluster as a reward for economical driving; and ECO Cruise, a feature that helps optimize powertrain elements for convenient yet economical highway travel.

 

City equals highway

Hybrid vehicle drivers traditionally saw superior fuel-economy figures in city driving, so loyalists maximized their fuel economy through regenerative braking in stop-and-go traffic. But now, higher-speed innovations have caught up on efficiency.

 

“City, highway and everywhere in between, C-MAX Hybrid is EPA-certified at 47 mpg,” Bakaj said. “It’s a win-win-win.”

 

C-MAX Hybrid is expected to be America’s most affordable hybrid utility vehicle with a base price of $25,995, including destination and delivery, which is $1,300 lower than Toyota Prius v. C-MAX Hybrid is currently available for order at select dealerships.

Ford’s Global One Manufacturing System Drives Efficiencies, Increases Capabilities and Lowers Total Cost of Production

• Ford is deploying a single manufacturing operating system that will drive improved efficiencies, better capacity utilization

• As part of increasing plant flexibility, Ford will be able to produce 25 percent more vehicle derivatives per plant by 2015

• Ford will increase investment efficiency 8 percent a year by using standard processes and virtual tools

 

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich., Aug. 6, 2012 – Ford Motor Company is supporting its biggest global expansion in 50 years by rolling out a single manufacturing operating system that will drive improved efficiencies, increase capacity utilization and make the company an industry leader in lowest total cost production.

 

“The global One Ford plan is making it possible for us to deploy One Manufacturing, a single Ford production system that will pay tremendous dividends through standard processes, greater flexibility and improved investment efficiency,” said John Fleming, Ford executive vice president, Global Manufacturing, at the Center for Automotive Research Management Briefing Seminars today.

 

Ford is adding capacity around the world, including a broad expansion in Asia Pacific Africa (APA), where the company is adding nine new plants. The facilities will increase APA’s capacity to produce 2.9 million vehicles a year, part of a global plan to meet Ford’s goal of selling 8 million vehicles a year by mid-decade.

 

As Ford brings on new facilities, it is expanding the use of common manufacturing processes and standard systems for tracking material, delivery, maintenance and environmental costs so that new and existing plants are aligned in how they operate. Ford is also making broader use of virtual tools that reduce the cost of new plants and improve the efficiencies of new model changeovers.

 

“It is critical that all of our assembly operations, wherever they are located, speak the same language when it comes to producing high-quality vehicles in a safe and efficient way,” said Fleming.

 

Ford’s One Manufacturing system includes:

 

• Improved flexibility: Last year, 55 percent of Ford’s operations had flexible body shops, a figure that will increase to 65 percent in 2012. As the company launches new plants, each one will have a flexible body shop. Also, the number of vehicle derivatives that can be assembled at a single factory is increasing. By 2015, Ford will be able to produce 25 percent more derivatives per plant from 2011. Some new plants in APA will be capable of producing six and seven vehicles from a single facility
• Process/quality improvement: Ford is expanding the use of virtual tools that simulate how cars are assembled. By studying the best way for operators to install a seat, for example, Ford can design assembly lines that reduce injuries and accidents while improving quality. Since 2006, Ford has reduced the number of manufacturing build issues when a vehicle is first produced by more than 90 percent
• Investment efficiency: Virtual tools have already reduced the investment it takes to assemble a vehicle by more than 20 percent since 2009. In addition, the company has reduced the investment to produce a vehicle derivative by 60 percent. Going forward, expanding the use of virtual tools and standard processes will reduce total vehicle investment by 8 percent a year
• Capacity utilization: As Ford launches new plants, it is also reducing the number of platforms that vehicles are developed from. When combined with improved flexibility and more efficiencies, Ford will be able to take advantage of global economies of scale and significantly improve capacity utilization. By 2016, Ford’s global capacity utilization on a two-shift basis will increase 27 percent compared to 2011

Bill Ford, Environmental Industrialist

In 2000, Bill Ford spearheaded a sustainability report for the company his great-grandfather founded nearly a century earlier. "Sustainability issues are neither incidental nor avoidable," he wrote in the report, "they are at the heart of our business." At the time, the green ideas were not well-received. Today, in the wake of rising fuel prices and global economic crisis, they are at the center of Ford Motor Company's strategy for success.

Under Bill's leadership, Ford has repositioned itself as the auto industry's sustainability leader. From incorporating biodegradable materials in vehicle interiors and introducing eco-minded vehicles like hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and EVs, to improving energy efficiency at the factory level, Bill has radically transformed the way his company operates and the cars it produces.

"We want to be green, global and high-tech," he says. "We are using our global resources to produce innovative technology for safer, cleaner, more fuel-efficient vehicles."

Hybrid and Gasoline Transmissions at the Van Dyke Transmission Plant

Transmissions for Hybrid and Gasoline vehicles are built side by side on the same assembly line, each type containing totally unique parts.
The transmissions encased in purple are hybrid transmissions for Ford Fusion, C-MAX and Lincoln MKZ. Transmissions color-coded in orange are six-speed transmissions in Ford's front-wheel drive vehicles.

Ford Celebrates Production Launch of the Only Front-Wheel- Drive Hybrid Transmission To Be Made in North America

• Ford’s Van Dyke Transmission Plant adds hybrid transmission capacity thanks to a new, flexible assembly line supporting Ford C-MAX Hybrid, C-MAX Energi plug-in hybrid, Fusion Hybrid, Fusion Energi plug-in hybrid and Lincoln MKZ Hybrid
• Ford adds 225 new jobs at Van Dyke Transmission, bringing jobs in-house while helping deliver on its commitment to provide customers the power of choice for fuel-efficient vehicles
• Ford and its suppliers invest $220 million to transform Van Dyke Transmission as part of a $632 million commitment to North American transmission facilities

STERLING HEIGHTS, mich., Aug. 2, 2012 – Ford launches a new era of clean tech and job growth with today’s debut of a new flexible assembly line at Van Dyke Transmission Plant, making Ford North America’s only producer of front-wheel-drive hybrid transmissions.

 

Ford and suppliers are investing $220 million to transform Van Dyke Transmission into a modern operation capable of producing Ford’s new hybrid transmission – HF35 – as well as other fuel-efficient transmissions. The investments are part of a $632 million commitment Ford and its suppliers are making to increase capacity and flexibility at three North American transmission facilities by 2015.

 

The new assembly line and other capacity actions at Van Dyke Transmission include the addition of 225 new jobs, part of Ford’s commitment to add 12,000 U.S. hourly jobs by 2015. The plant recently added 130 jobs as part of the hybrid transmission launch, with the remaining workers scheduled to start work by the end of the month. Van Dyke now has a total of 1,350 workers.

 

“Our investments in Van Dyke Transmission make it our most advanced, efficient transmission plant in the world,” said Jim Tetreault, vice president of North America Manufacturing. “This demonstrates our commitment to bringing jobs and technology back into Ford and North America – actions that not only benefit our employees but our customers and the communities where we do business.”

 

HF35, which incorporates two electric motors, is the first hybrid transmission to be designed and built by Ford. Previously, hybrid transmission production was handled by a supplier in Japan. By bringing the development work in-house, Ford reduced development costs 20 percent.

 

Investments at Van Dyke include manufacturing, capital equipment, launch and engineering costs, and supplier tooling upgrades. New flexible equipment allows the plant to build both HF35 and 6F, a conventional six-speed automatic transmission, at the same time.  

 

Ford engineered the HF35 and upgraded the controls with a goal of creating the industry’s highest-performing, smoothest-operating hybrid transmission. Among this hybrid transmission’s innovations:

 

• Electric motors capable of operating at higher electric speeds
• A super-efficient new cooling system that enables higher speeds in electric drive
• Optimized gear ratios enabling improvement in fuel economy
• More precise controls to deliver higher levels of refinement as the powertrain transitions between engine and electric drive
• Reduced weight to help increase fuel economy

 

HF35 will be used in five electrified vehicles being introduced this year to provide customers with a range of fuel-efficient options:

 

• C-MAX Hybrid: Coming this fall; projected 47 mpg city, 3 mpg better than Toyota Prius v
• Ford C-MAX Energi plug-in hybrid: Coming this fall; projected to deliver 550 miles of total range, including more than 20 miles in electric-only mode – nearly double the electric-only range of the Toyota Prius plug-in hybrid
• All-new Fusion Hybrid: Coming this fall; projected 47 mpg expected to beat Toyota Camry Hybrid by 5 mpg highway
• Fusion Energi plug-in hybrid: Will begin production by the end of this year; aiming to be the most fuel-efficient midsize car in the world with more than 100 MPGe
• Lincoln MKZ Hybrid: Coming later this year; projected to remain America's most fuel-efficient midsize premium sedan.

Raptor vs. Rover: The Ultimate Off-Road Faceoff

Two American innovators in go-anywhere capability – the 2013 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor and NASA’s Mars Rover Curiosity – face off in a unique comparison of awesome off-road hardware. Each vehicle represents the pinnacle of high-tech mobility on Earth and Mars. SVT Raptor meets Rover Curiosity to boldly go further.

Ford Enables SYNC Voice Control of Allergy Alert App by IMS Health Giving Drivers On-Demand Access to Allergy Forecasts

• Drivers of Ford SYNC^® AppLink^™-equipped vehicles now can check allergy, pollen, asthma, flu and UV conditions on the go with the Allergy Alert^® app
• Allergy sufferers can check current forecasts using simple voice commands
• Ford continues in efforts to improve the health and wellness of drivers by utilizing connectivity for more than information and entertainment

 

DEARBORN, Mich., Aug. 2, 2012 – Allergy Alert^® app is now compatible with Ford SYNC^® AppLink^™ to give drivers a safe way to check the potential for scratchy eyes, sore throats and runny noses while on the go.

 

“Mobile health apps are changing the way consumers manage their own wellness, and Ford SYNC provides the platform to extend this growing trend to the driving experience,” explained Doug VanDagens, global director of Ford Connected Services. “The SYNC AppLink-enabled Allergy Alert app allows drivers to quickly check current and upcoming pollen and other health risk conditions with simple voice commands while keeping their hands on the wheel and eyes on the road.”

 

According to Pollen.com, seasonal allergy symptoms affect 20 percent of Americans annually. Those suffering with allergies are challenged to figure out if pollen levels are up or down and how it may impact their health that day. Pollen.com is a publicly available allergy resource supplied by IMS Health, a global leader in healthcare information, services and technology, and the data provider for the Allergy Alert app.

 

“Pollen affects everyone differently, and the IMS app was developed to specifically help people on the move improve their quality of life,” said Dan Barton, U.S. head of product development for IMS Health. “Our experience with allergy sufferers suggests a strong demand for real-time information. The technology we’ve applied in the Ford SYNC AppLink-equipped car helps drivers better prepare for the allergens they may encounter on the road by delivering reliable, timely and relevant information related to their destination. The app gives users the ability to more consistently manage their symptoms.”

 

With SYNC AppLink, drivers can connect smartphones or tablets to their cars, and by using simple voice commands are able to quickly access information from Allergy Alert – while not having to take their hands off the wheel or eyes off the road.

 

Through the app’s pollen index rating, drivers can request to hear the types of allergen conditions they are likely to encounter that may cause a flare-up in personal allergy symptoms. The app also provides a risk index for asthma, flu/cough/cold and ultraviolet rays.

 

Based on the growing trend in mobile and Web-based healthcare services, Ford initiated research into health and wellness apps that could leverage SYNC’s connectivity capability. In spring of last year, Ford kicked off a series of research projects for in-car health and wellness-connected services such as medical device connectivity, cloud-based health management services and mobile app integration. In just over a year, Ford is now delivering on the initial research with Allergy Alert as one of the first steps toward helping drivers to take care of themselves and their passengers.

 

“We are attempting to create the car that cares,” says Gary Strumolo, global manager of Ford Research and Innovation. “We want to change the paradigm that in-car connectivity systems such as SYNC can only be used for information and entertainment purposes. Health and wellness are key issues for our customers outside of the car; therefore, we want to leverage our connectivity platform to improve their time behind the wheel. The trend in mobile health is all about knowing potential health concerns before they happen so that they don’t surprise a person, even while driving.”

 

SYNC AppLink integration enables drivers to use simple voice commands to access the health and wellness features of the Allergy Alert app while keeping their hands on the wheel and eyes on the road. The voice commands and features include:

 

• “Current location”updates the driver’s location using the car’s built-in GPS receiver to report the most accurate and up-to-date information
•  “Allergy”provides a verbal pollen index to users that rates the severity of pollen levels in the surrounding environment on a scale from 0 to 12
• “Pollen”specifies that pollens are predominantly in the air
•  “Asthma” uses a 0 to 12 scale to address potential and upcoming concerns for asthmatics
•  “Flu” addresses the current and upcoming flu index and report
•  “UV” tells drivers of the current and upcoming risks of UV rays
•  “ZIP 1,” “ZIP 2” and “ZIP 3”stores up to three ZIP codes in the settings menu of users’ device. The first ZIP code is the default location when not using the GPS position. The second and third ZIP enable users to store ZIP codes outside of their current area, such as a mother storing the ZIP code of her child’s school

 

The SYNC AppLink-enabled version of Allergy Alert is available for iOS devices and is a free app that can be downloaded from the App Store.

 

SYNC AppLink is currently available on 10 2012 Ford vehicle models.

 

Ford Fusion Achieves Best-Ever July Sales, Explorer Best July Sales in Six Years, F-Series Gains for 12th Straight Month

• Ford Fusion sales increase 21 percent – the best July ever – with 23,326 vehicles sold
• Explorer posts best July sales since 2006 with 11,313 vehicles sold
• F-Series sales total 49,314 vehicles, marking 12 straight months of monthly sales gains
• Ford Motor Company’s July U.S. sales totaled 173,966 – a 4 percent decline due to lower fleet sales; July retail sales grow 2 percent compared with last year

DEARBORN, Mich., Aug. 1, 2012 – Ford Motor Company’s U.S. retail sales increased 
2 percent in July versus year-ago levels, driven by strong retail customer demand for fuel-efficient vehicles.

Fusion exceeded its best-ever July sales record last month, with 23,326 vehicles sold. Mustang sales increased 8 percent versus last year, with 7,371 vehicles sold, representing its third straight month of sales gains since 2013 models started arriving in dealerships.

Explorer sales totaled 11,313 vehicles in July – its best-ever July sales result since 2006.  

Ford F-Series, America’s best-selling vehicle, reported its 12th straight month of sales increases, with 49,314 F-Series sold. EcoBoost-equipped F-150s made up 42 percent of retail sales in July.

Overall, Ford Motor Company sales were down 4 percent in July due to lower fleet sales. Fleet sales were down 16 percent. Retail sales were up 2 percent.