Couple things stick out:
1) Again with the notion that someone is saving by going electric vs. gasoline. I wanna see their electric bills first. Akin to that, the environmental cost is probably not much different -- where's that electric power coming from? Mostly still from coal. Oh, but we're going to be wind-powered in 20 years! Not so much. But even so, there's an environmental cost to the plastics/composites (petroleum drilled for) and all the metals (mining) used to make those big turbines. Let's end the farce of "going green" and "saving". The facts don't add up.
2) Um...do I want my car connected in a way that I...or someone else...could read all its data AND perform remote functions? No. H#LL NO! Furthermore, if the car is plugged in, which it would have to be for the remote initiation of charging to have effect, why isn't the car's onboard computer smart enough to just read it's own gauge and start charging when it needs to???
ORLANDO — AT&T is teaming up with Ford Motor Company on a specialized app that can remotely monitor and charge up an electric car all from a few taps on the touch screen of a smartphone.
I managed to get an in-person sneak peek at the MyFord Mobile app at CTIA Wireless 2011, and the graphics are definitely striking yet easy to navigate. Although I haven’t had the opportunity to actually test it out with an electric vehicle, it does seem like it would streamline basic tasks for drivers of these vehicles. I was a little surprised to see MapQuest maps implemented instead of Google Maps, as I find the latter easier to use, but it shouldn’t make much of a difference in the end.
Aside from being able to track how much battery life is left in a car and then instruct it to charge remotely, users will also be able to track their CO2 savings and - more importantly - how much money they are saving by having an electric vehicle rather than just guzzling more gasoline. Some of the other nifty features include being able to lock and unlock the doors, pre-heat or pre-cool the interior for those extreme weather days, and locate the vehicle using the built-in GPS system. Gone are the days of looking for your car in a large parking lot like in an episode of Seinfeld!
Note that these apps are not backwards compatible with existing electric vehicles but rather just the new Ford Focus Electric, which goes into production later this year.
When released, a five-year subscription plan to the app service will be included in the car purchase price. MyFord Mobile will be optimized for iOS, Android and BlackBerry, along with a mobile web interface for other feature and smartphones. The app might not be the tipping point reason for buying this electric vehicle over another, but it’s surely useful for those who do buy the Ford Focus Electric.
Related coverage on ZDNet:
- CTIA Wireless: AT&T shows off new mobile products
- CTIA Wireless: Jabra announces ‘industry-first’ Freeway speakerphone
- CTIA Wireless: Blio to be pre-loaded on future T-Mobile products
- CTIA Wireless: LG drops the cords with Wireless Charging Pad
- CTIA Wireless: Sprint unveils HTC Evo 3D, Evo View 4G tablet
