+Ford Motor Company has however implemented EV+ on it's new generation hybrid systems in the C-Max and Fusion. Information about your location and driving habits is aggregated using SYNC GPS, to look for patterns. As the system learns when you are approaching regular destinations, the battery gets used more aggressively to save fuel. This works on the regular hybrids, but it really comes into its own on the plug-in hybrid C-Max Energi and Fusion Energi where it will try to use up the battery power as you approach locations where you regularly plug in. Both C-Max versions and the Fusion hybrid are available now and the Fusion Energi PHEV goes on sale early in the new year.
Between this and systems like Google Now on Android phones, the cloud will soon no more about us than we do.
Reshared post from +Green Car Reports
Would't it be nice if your electric car just knew when you were close to home?
2013 Ford C-Max Energi: New EV+ Feature ‘Learns’ Regular Routes
Every driver of a plug-in hybrid electric car eventually wants to drive more on electricity and less on gasoline. So it’s frustrating when the battery charge indicator shows a reasonable level of char…
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I imagine Google's driverless cars would be better at this than anything, if they end up being gasoline/electric hybrids. Based on Google Now's ability to predict where I'm going and what route I'll take, they're already perfectly set up to integrate with a system like this.
+Melina M I seriously doubt +Google will every build cars. Instead I can see them following the Android model and building a control software platform that will be licensed to carmakers much like Microsoft does today with the Windows CE platform that underpins systems like Ford SYNC, Kia UVO, Fiat Blue&Me and others.
That said, it will surely incorporate capabilities like Now and Maps with traffic data. It could even utilize Android to power the V2X communications.
As for Google building cars, 2 years ago I would — and probably did — have laughed at it. Now: Not so sure anymore.