Active Park Assist Ford Curve Control #3

Posted by Liz on Jul 6, 2010 in Blogging Events | 2 comments

Continuing on with my adventures at Ford Motor Company, I am going to show you something that FOR SURE will knock your socks off! If there’s something that I took home from this trip, this has got to be it.

Active Park Assist is an answered prayer to all who have trouble parallel parking.  I’m ok at parallel parking on my own.  I get nervous when people are around, and ugh… I hate when I mis-calculate and go back and forth like 10 times! Don’t you hate that?

A little about Active Park Assist:

• New Active Park Assist helps drivers parallel park with the touch of a button and without ever touching the steering wheel
• Available in mid-2009 on Ford Escape, Lincoln MKS sedan and all-new Lincoln MKT crossover
• Active Park Assist uses ultrasonic-based sensing system and Electric Power Steering (EPS) to steer the vehicle into a parking spot – EPS also improves fuel economy up to 5 percent, while reducing CO2 emissions and enhancing performance, compared with traditional steering

Here it is… the MOST insane moment of my blogging life!!

I know, right?!?!?!  The car parked on its own!  You still have control on how fast the car goes, by having your foot on the brake pedal the whole time.  Also, if you touch the steering wheel, the system automatically shuts off and you have to start all over again.

I was able to do this twice.  It was super hard not having control of the steering wheel.  When you see it move, natural instincts take over, and you WANT to take control of the wheel… crazy I tell ya!

How Active Park Assist works:

• The driver activates the system by pressing an instrument panel button, which activates the ultrasonic sensors to measure and identify a feasible parallel parking space.
• The system then prompts the driver to accept the system assistance to park.
• The steering system then takes over and steers the car into the parking space hands-free. The driver still shifts the transmission and operates the gas and brake pedals.
• A visual and/or audible driver interface advises the driver about the proximity of other cars, objects and people and provides instructions.
• While the steering is all done automatically, the driver remains responsible for safe parking and can interrupt the system by grasping the steering wheel.

Stay tuned for more!!! (: