Ford electric vehicles to communicate via the cloud – Dallas, TX

Searching for a new Ford? Electric cars continue to grow in popularity as the technology that goes into them keeps getting better. An issue with the growth of electric vehicles however, is the strain it can put on the electric grid during periods of heavy use.

Ford Motor Company is working with seven of the world’s largest automakers and 15 utility companies in North America to try and improve efficiency of the electric grid by remotely managing vehicle charging. The new system will allow utilities to contact customers who are part of the program to ask if their cars can stop charging temporarily to avoid a grid overload.

The system uses existing electric vehicle communications, such as the MyFord mobile application to allow communication between the electric grid, the customer and their car. Users will be financially rewarded for helping manage the electric grid. Customers also have the ability to ignore the request to stop charging if they don’t feel they can postpone charging.

The reward system works similarly to current incentives, such as how utilities offer customers discounts for not running their air conditioning during peak power usage. When the load on the grid is reduced, the electric vehicle will get a message to resume charging.

Utility companies involved in development of this technology span across the continent, from San Diego, California to Manitoba, Canada. Global auto manufacturers taking part include Ford, Honda, BMW, Chrysler, GM, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi Motors and Toyota.

Take a look at our inventory of new efficient Ford vehicles.