COLOGNE, Germany, July 13, 2023 – Ford has been named the ‘Most Innovative Volume Brand 2023’ at the annual AutomotiveINNOVATIONS awards, scooping top honours in the categories for ‘Autonomous Driving & ADAS’ and ‘Connected Car Services’ for volume brands in the process.
The Centre of Automotive Management and PricewaterhouseCoopers GmbH based in Germany named Ford the category winner after considering innovations from 29 global automotive groups representing more than 80 brands. In total, 1,088 innovations were considered during the judging process for the 2023 awards. Ford received an overall score of 91.2 points, ahead of second-placed VW (82.0 points) and third-placed Toyota (64.6 points).
The introduction of Ford’s Level 2 hands-free advanced driver assistance system, BlueCruise1 – available in the Mustang Mach-E, with regulatory approval for use on the motorway network in Great Britain since April – helped Ford to win the ‘Autonomous Driving & ADAS’ category on the way to the overall award. The F-150’s Pro Trailer Hitch Assist was also cited for special mention.
SYNC 4’s2 cloud-based navigation on the Ford Focus was a highlighted innovation that put Ford at the top of the ‘Connected Car Services’ category, while the company also indexed well in the remaining two categories, taking second place in both ‘Electric Drive’ and ‘Interface and Connectivity’.
“Throughout our 120 years history we’ve consistently innovated, producing vehicles and technologies with customers’ needs at the forefront of our minds,” said Silke Seitz, director, Digital Products Europe, who collected the award for Ford. “The automotive industry today is changing at a rate never before seen, so to be recognised for our innovation at this time is a proud moment and testament to the agility, ability and continuing ambition of the company.”
The Centre of Automotive Management is an independent institute for automotive and mobility research and strategic consulting at the University of Applied Sciences, Bergisch Gladbach, in Germany. The AutomotiveINNOVATIONS awards recognise automotive engineering innovation with a judging panel led by centre director Prof. Dr.Stefan Bratzel, in collaboration with PricewaterhouseCoopers AG.
“For the first time since 2014, Ford is once again the most innovative volume brand,” said Bratzel. “A high balance of innovative strengths in the most important technology fields was one of the success factors.”
The awards were presented during an event on July 13th, 2023 in Frankfurt am Main, with the organisation celebrating 11 years of recognising innovation in the automotive industry.
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1 Ford BlueCruise is a hands-free highway driving feature. Only remove hands from the steering wheel when in a Hands-Free Blue Zone. Always watch the road and be prepared to resume control of the vehicle. It does not replace safe driving. See Owner's Manual for details and limitations. [The BlueCruise Prep Kit contains the hardware required for this feature.] Requires purchased BlueCruise subscription to cover data usage, regular map updates and feature improvements. To use BlueCruise you will need to activate your Mustang Mach-E using the FordPass App.
2 Don’t drive while distracted or while using handheld devices. Use voice-operated systems when possible. Some features may be locked out while the vehicle is in gear. Not all features are compatible with all phones.
The declared WLTP fuel/energy consumptions, CO2-emissions and electric range are determined according to the technical requirements and specifications of the European Regulations (EC) 715/2007 and (EU) 2017/1151 as last amended. The applied standard test procedures enable comparison between different vehicle types and different manufacturers.
Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) is a global company based in Dearborn, Michigan, committed to helping build a better world, where every person is free to move and pursue their dreams. The company’s Ford+ plan for growth and value creation combines existing strengths, new capabilities and always-on relationships with customers to enrich experiences for customers and deepen their loyalty. Ford develops and delivers innovative, must-have Ford trucks, sport utility vehicles, commercial vans and cars and Lincoln luxury vehicles, along with connected services. The company does that through three customer-centered business segments: Ford Blue, engineering iconic gas-powered and hybrid vehicles; Ford Model e, inventing breakthrough EVs along with embedded software that defines exceptional digital experiences for all customers; and Ford Pro, helping commercial customers transform and expand their businesses with vehicles and services tailored to their needs. Additionally, Ford is pursuing mobility solutions through Ford Next, and provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. Ford employs about 174,000 people worldwide. More information about the company and its products and services is available at corporate.ford.com.
Ford, a global American brand woven into the fabric of Europe for more than 100 years, is committed to freedom of movement that goes hand-in-hand with looking after the planet and each other. The company’s Ford+ plan, with Model e, Ford Pro and the Ford Blue business units is accelerating its European transformation to an all-electric and carbon neutral future by 2035. The company is driving forward with bold, new EVs, each one designed with European drivers in mind and innovating with services to help people connect, communities grow, and businesses thrive. Selling and servicing Ford vehicles in 50 individual European markets, operations also include the Ford Motor Credit Company, Ford Customer Service Division and 14 manufacturing facilities (eight wholly owned and six unconsolidated joint venture facilities) with four centres based in Cologne, Germany; Valencia, Spain and at our joint venture in Craiova, Romania and Kocaeli, Türkiye. Ford employs approximately 34,000 people at its wholly owned facilities and consolidated joint ventures and approximately 56,000 people including unconsolidated businesses across Europe. More information about the company, its products and Ford Credit is available at corporate.ford.com.
