The Ford Focus Electric, the Blue Oval’s upcoming EV, hasn’t arrived in showrooms such as Ford Dealers Knoxville TN yet. But before it does arrive, Ford is eager to hear what potential customers think.
Ford wanted consumers to help develop the final in-dash display for the Ford Focus Electric through the use of a specially designed driving simulator. Using the simulator, consumers took the Focus Electric through an 11-mile circuit consisting of terrain that a typical drive might include — hills, cities and flat land.
“These screens are an integral part of Focus Electric and we thought the best way to make sure they would do their job is to have people come in and try them out for themselves,” said Paul Aldighieri, HMI engineer. “The only true way to get a feel for what the screens are telling the driver is by actually getting behind the wheel.”
According to Albuquerque Used Cars, since last year, nearly 30 drivers have participated in the simulator exercise. Feedback from the study showed that consumers easily understood the Focus Electric’s high-tech driver interface, which helps drivers optimize range and experience the freedom of fuel-free driving. But thanks to fresh insights, Ford engineers have been able to improve the interface even more before the vehicle reaches dealers. Engineers even received feedback on alternatives for the terminology used to represent what eventually became the charge point, budget and surplus screens.
Not only does Ford want to provide easy-to-understand information about range, destinations and charge points, but engineers also aimed to make efficient driving fun. Through extensive testing, Ford was able to create a vehicle that’s just as fun as it is efficient.
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