The Heat Is On! Ford Extreme Climate Team Helps Drivers Contend with Bitter, Cold Weather Driving

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Following the infamous winter of the polar vortex in 2013-14, customers told #ford they needed more accessible cold weather features such as heated seats, heated steering wheel and a windshield wiper de-icer; #ford is now delivering on that request • Ford’s extreme climate team meets with market-specific customers around the globe to better understand what drivers in harsh weather conditions need and expect, then works to make such features available on more vehicles • SYNC® Connect on 2017 #ford Escape provides drivers with cold weather benefits including improved remote start and vehicle pre-conditioning capabilities DEARBORN, Mich., Dec. 14, 2016 – The big chill of 2013-14 that gave much of North America bone-numbing temperatures and record snowfall prompted two seldom-used words to enter the daily lexicon: Polar vortex. On the heels of that infamous season, #ford – committed to gaining a deeper understanding for how its vehicles could better assist drivers in harsh winter conditions – deployed a team north. The company’s extreme climate team set out to host a customer clinic in Edmonton, Alberta, to hear what drivers there had to say about the challenges they faced on the road. Already, #ford is using that feedback to give customers more of what they need. “What our customers in Canada told us is simple – ‘Heat everything!’” says #nicolemazur, product development quality supervisor for #ford Canada and export markets. “They wanted better access to some of the cold weather features #ford was already offering on its higher-series vehicles.” Mazur and job-share partner #melissadeluka spearhead North American input into Ford’s extreme climate team – part of a broader global group that represents #ford quality engineering in cross-functional product development. The group aims to help #ford better understand the voice of the customer in extreme climate regions around the world.