All of this research was made possible through the use of MyFord Mobile, which is available on Ford’s plug-in and battery-electric cars like the C-MAX Energi, the Fusion Energi, and the Focus Electric (why they didn’t give it a cool name like ElectroFocus we’ll never know). The MyFord Mobile app can also be downloaded from the App Store as well as Google Play.
The app allows Ford owners to link up their phone with their cars using an embedded AT&T wireless module, with the car supplying the app with information on its charge level and other vital stats. While not every plug-in hybrid Ford owner uses it, the app provides quite a bit of helpful info, including a charging-station finder.
Ford has been able to piece together more interesting data through the MyFord Mobile app, finding that the average charge time is just over three hours, once again suggesting that most owners tend to use their cars for commuting.
Ford’s original press release along with a more data is available here:
The station finding feature is one of the most frequently used functions of MyFord Mobile. Early data related specifically to charging show:
About 6 million charging stations are found every month through MyFord Mobile
Average charge time is 185 minutes
About 180,000 charge stations are located daily through MyFord Mobile
Noon to 2 p.m. is when most charge station searches are conducted
The top five most active regions for charge station searches are San Francisco, Los Angeles, Portland, Seattle and the northeast corridor
Ford doesn’t collect information on individual drivers, but aggregates group data so that it can continue to deliver the best possible ownership experience. And while not every owner uses MyFord Mobile, data available from those who do are showing:
More electric drive time:Early in the year, as little as 41 percent of drive time was being spent in electric mode; as recent as July 16, the figure was nearing 60 percent
More daily total miles: With Ford’s share of the U.S. electrified vehicle market at nearly 16 percent for the first half of 2013, between 100,000 and 160,000 miles are being driven every day
More daily trips: In the last month, roughly 5,000 to 7,000 trips have been made in vehicles using MyFord Mobile daily
Short trips: 84 percent of one-way trips are of distances 20 miles or less