Designed by Hypermilers for Hypermilers
Wayne Gerdes –
CleanMPG – Mar. 28, 2009
SmartGauge w/ EcoGuide’s Empower display with 6-minute bar history shown.
Ford’s 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid SmartGauge w/ EcoGuide - Easily the best display available in any vehicle anywhere.
Dearborn, MI. -- Praised by CleanMPG as "Spectacularly clean and concise", Ford’s SmartGaugeTM with EcoGuide digital instrument cluster placed Ford in the driver’s seat where hybrid electric vehicles are concerned. This innovative feature uses instantaneous power and fuel consumption data to coach drivers of both the all-new 2010 Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan hybrids to drive more fuel efficiently.
Ford researchers, designers and engineers collaborated with IDEO and Smart Design, two world leaders in helping consumers connect with technology, as well as automotive electronics technology supplier Johnson Controls to design and develop the unique instrument cluster.
SmartGauge’s high resolution, full-color liquid crystal display (LCD) screens can be configured by the driver to show different levels of information, including fuel and battery power levels, as well as average and instant miles-per-gallon.
“No other automaker is leveraging LCD technology in the cluster to the extent that we do,” said Paul Mascarenas, vice president, Engineering, Ford Global Product Development. “It is much more interactive and integral to the whole driving experience.”
In fact, the SmartGauge cluster became an unexpected competition for Ford’s test subjects, who tried to outperform each other and themselves in fuel efficiency.
Consumer input in design process
The Ford SmartGauge team, in close collaboration with design and innovation firm IDEO, observed dozens of consumers in their homes, cars, and communities to gain insight into how people measured efficiency in different areas of their lives. Some were hybrid car owners, but many were not. They spoke with people who live in “green” homes and even met with a calorie-counting tri-athlete, who described his ideal coach as one that offers positive encouragement.
Early on, SmartGauge prototypes included multiple levels of cluster information in order to accommodate the varying information needs of different kinds of customers, ranging from hybrid newcomers to “hypermilers.”
“The one thing I did like about the Milan was a gauge in the dash that showed when you were in EV versus the gas engine,” said Karen Gerdes, a non-hybrid owning consumer during her first drive of the Milan Hybrid. “I think I could really use the way it worked to really get a handle on good driving habits.”
In the final design, drivers can choose one of the following four data screens:
- Inform: Fuel level and battery charge status
- Enlighten: Adds electric vehicle mode indicator and tachometer
- Engage: Adds engine output power and battery output power
- Empower: Adds power to wheels, engine pull-up threshold and accessory power consumption
All levels are customizable to show instant fuel economy, fuel economy history, odometer, engine coolant temperature, what gear the car is in and trip data, including trip fuel economy, long-term fuel economy and miles to empty. And while most competitive vehicles have some of this information in the center stack, Ford has made it user friendly and right in front of the driver where they want it.
Thinking outside the box
To prepare a prototype gauge cluster for testing, the team used aviation cockpit engineering software, because it offers the best combination of design and simulation capability.
“Watching this technology come together was one of the most exciting things I’ve ever seen at Ford,” said Mascarenas. “Everyone really was feeding off each other to push the bar. We knew we had the ability to take the instrument cluster to where no other automaker has taken it before – and we already have strong ideas about where to take it in its next generation.”
The result? Nothing available from Asia, Europe or the two other domestic manufacturers even comes close.
Linear Mode
