Who says you have to be inside your car to start your car? Certainly not Ford, which now allows drivers to remotely start, schedule future starts, lock, and unlock their latest generation Ford Escape vehicles simply by using their smartphones. Thanks to the Sync Connect app, vehicle owners are now provided information about their car’s location, tire pressure, battery, and fuel levels, because a 21st-century car needs to have 21st-century technology.
Operating under the premise that customers should be given what they want, Ford’s latest suite of announcements promises “more connectivity” and “innovative features [that] make driving safer [and] easier.” But Sync seems to be the cherry on top of the innovative sundae — users can verify their identity by way of a two-step authentication process, ensuring that not just anyone will be able to start your car from afar. New Escape owners are automatically granted a complimentary five-year activation of Sync connect.
“There’s a recognition that we need to be multifaceted in regards to connectivity,” said Don Butler, Ford’s director of connected vehicles and services. “With where we see the industry going, built-in connectivity will become an increasing part of what we do. I think the approach that we’ve taken at Ford has been consistent with our customers and their needs.”
While a number of other automakers have offered smart systems for their cars, Ford remains confident that its app is unique both in its user interface and, perhaps more importantly, in the ability to schedule a start. If, for example, you know that you need your car warmed up in the winter months 15 minutes before you leave at 8:00 am for your meeting, you can rev up your vehicle to prepare itself for your arrival at 7:45 am sharp. Pretty nifty, no?
Currently, the app works only with the new Escape, but the company hopes to extend the technology to a broader range of automobiles as well. So get ready for the days of the ghostly operated auto — don’t worry, it’s just someone’s phone starting their car.
