Toronto, Ontario — In this weeks EV/AV report, Ford patents technology that would use exterior cameras to read billboard ads and display them on interior display screens. Lexus hits a milestone of 2 million global sales of electrified vehicles, and Joe Biden takes the new Ford F-150 Lightning for a spin.
Ford’s New Ad Patent
This month Ford released a patent that would allow nearby billboard ads to be displayed in your vehicle.
This system would use cameras located on the vehicle’s exterior to detect and scan passing billboards. It would then create in-car versions of the ad, and display them on an interior screen.
This patent would allow for more information to be displayed inside the vehicle than what appears on the billboards in hopes to entice drivers to a certain location. It could even offer digital coupons for nearby restaurants or stores.
As this is a brand new patent, it’s unlikely to be implemented any time soon, but comes as automakers strive to offer new tech to stand out from others.
Biden Takes F-150 Lightning For a Spin
US president Joe Biden was filmed taking the new Ford F-150 Lightning for a spin at Ford’s Rouge factory in Dearborn, Michigan.
In a video posted by CSPAN, Biden claims “this Sucker’s quick!” stating that the new electric vehicle does 0-60 mph in 4.3 or 4.4 seconds – though a nearby Ford employee refused to confirm that.
Biden told the press on scene that he would buy one.
The presidential visit to Ford’s factory comes as part of Biden’s push for widespread electric vehicle adoption in America. The US government has proposed $174 billion over 10 years to encourage automakers to manufacture more electric vehicles in the country.
“We’re going to set a new pace for electric vehicles,” Biden said, vowing to reverse what he called the Trump administration’s “short-sighted” rollback of vehicle emissions standards.
The president wants $15 billion to build 500,000 EV charging stations by 2030 – including in apartment buildings and public parking – and $45 billion to electrify a significant number of school and transit buses. He also wants to fund shifting the federal fleet to more EVs, including for the Postal Service to begin using EV delivery trucks.
Lexus Sales are Electric
Lexus announced that the luxury car brand has reached 2 million global sales of electrified vehicles as of April 2021.
Lexus has been a pioneer of the electrification of luxury vehicles since they introduced the RX400h in 2005. They have since expanded their fleet to offer nine electrified vehicles, seven in Canada.
Since 2005, Lexus electrified vehicles have contributed to a cumulative reduction in CO2 emissions of approximately 19 million tons.
“Lexus will continue to lead the steady growth of electrified vehicles and the reduction of CO2 emissions in line with our corporate mission of carbon neutrality and Sustainable Development Goals,” the brand stated in a press release.
By 2025, Lexus will introduce 20 new or improved models, including more than 10 BEVs, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs). They also plan to offer electric options for the entire Lexus fleet.
