Ford builds in telematics to vans, pickups

Car manufacturer Ford has signed a deal to build telematics systems into vehicles at the factory. According to the car maker, it's the first time the vehicle tech has been used on such a large scale.

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From next year, Ford will manufacture 10,000 vehicles in the E-Series vans, F-Series pickup trucks and Chassis Cabs ranges, with a telematics system called Crew Chief supplied by Microlise in-built as they roll off the production line.

This volume will rise to 20,000 the following year and up to 45,000 in 2011.

Crew Chief allows fleet controllers to get information about the vehicle's location and aspects of the vehicle and driver's performance and the information can be used for job scheduling, route planning and job allocation. The data can then help with fuel economy and vehicle life.

According to a Ford spokesman, the move is aimed at greening its most popular fleet and work vehicles, but has also been inspired by fleet customers looking to make efficiency savings.

The spokesman told silicon.com: "This is a logical step for us and is in line with our customers' desires to find economies in fuel and needs to improve vehicle performance and driver behaviours, such as leaving the engine running while parked. With all of the challenges that exist in the truck sector, we are trying to help enhance the value of our trucks as work vehicles."

The process is restricted to manufacturing in the US, although the spokesman said there is interest in rolling it out to the rest of North America. There are no plans to factory build in telematics systems in Europe, however.