Ford Parking Assist Technology Makes Lincoln MKT Crossover (Slightly) More Efficient
by Eric Leech, New York, NY on 12.31.08
Photo credit to Willrad
Well folks, another basic function of life has now been taken away from us, as if we were stumps on a log not able to think and function for ourselves. But perhaps Ford is right. Maybe the public has forgotten the art of parallel parking...
Step 1: Pull vehicle up 3/4 of the way to the car in front.
Step 2: Turn the steering wheel fully in the direction of the space.
Step 3: Reverse slowly until your car is at a 45 degree angle to the curb and then back straight for a few more inches until you are several inches from the curb.
Step 4: Stop the car and turn the wheel completely to the opposite direction, then resume reversing.
Step 5. Stop once you have lightly tapped the vehicle behind you, knocking off their license plate and smashed both headlights. Put the wheel in the opposite direction and move forward to center out, being careful only to lightly damage the taillights of the vehicle in front. Gently back the vehicle a few inches.
Step 6: Leave your insurance card with both vehicles, so that they can get in touch with you about the repair costs of their vehicles.I am kidding of course, but you would think that I wasn't due to the recent intervention of recent vehicles with automated parking functions. The Lexus already has a system, Volkswagen is working on their own version, and now Ford has announced the Lincoln MKT Crossover will have a similar park assist technology.
Park Assist Technology Reduces the "Drive Around to Find a Easier Place to Park" Scenario
Although some of us may not want to believe it, the fact is, word on the street says that some people will avoid parallel parking situations like the plague. Sometimes driving around for another five to ten minutes just to find a "pull in" space. If this is true, parking assist may indeed be a green maneuver which will reduce wasteful driving by quite a bit. Especially on busy, congested, city streets.
Park Assist May Reduce Drag on the Gas/Diesel Powered Engine
On top of the parallel parking convenience, Ford has also announced that the new electronic steering assist technology should boost fuel economy by up to five percent. The reason for the boost, is the steering mechanism will be taken off as a belt driven component on the engine and replaced as a purely electric component. So it will become more of a drag on your electrical system, which Ford has obviously (hopefully) already accounted for.
Should Park Assist be Introduced to all Vehicles?
George Castanza, the lovable, albeit sometimes irritated character from Seinfeld had parallel parking down to a science. He would certainly have had a few choice words about such a technological innovation. Do you think that a parking assist function on future vehicles in a step in the right direction, or a function of creating a mass of lazier, less functional adult drivers in the coming future?
Picture: Gramps sitting at the dining room table, as the grandchildren all roll their eyes, “When I was a kid, we used to have to travel ten miles through six feet of non-global warmed snow just to parallel park our own vehicle!”
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another expensive gimick we don't need. just build the cars people demand. is that too much to ask? build the cars that sell or the chinese will.
An even better and cheaper idea than park assist is to take the first space you find and WALK to where you want to go.
weird... parking assist. why bother with a license now.... next there'll be cars that drive themselves. all you'd have to do would be to tell the car where to go..."KITT drive to the closest McDonald's so I can stuff my face".... yeesh
I'm sure that will be a selling point on these high end vehicles. Probably safer too, since its hard to parallel park while talking on a cell phone. I won't be needing one, nor will I pay for such a "technological" marvel.