MyFord Touch picks fuel-efficient routes

Ford tonight added a new feature to its MyFord Touch in-dash car system on its way to launch. A new Eco-Routes feature (video below) gives drivers an extra option for GPS navigation that picks the most fuel-efficient path: it will avoid highways but still try to use major roads where the car can keep a consistent speed and save fuel. The system looks at historical data along with live traffic conditions to gauge where stop-and-go traffic might waste gas.

The system can get as much as 15 percent more fuel economy out of a car by itself, Ford said. To help show any gains, MyFord adds both a real-time efficiency tracker as well as averages for as little as five and as many as 30 minutes of recent driving.

The automaker is on track to roll the feature and MyFord Touch as a whole into the 2011 Ford Edge and the 2011 Lincoln MKX when they both go on sale this summer. Outside of North America, the touchscreen system will go into effect with the 2012 Ford Focus.

By Electronista Staff