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Ford hit by lawsuit over hybrid technology from, surprise, Paice

The name Paice will be familiar to anyone who's been deep in the weeds of hybrid history, but it will probably be new to anyone who simply drives one. The key part of the story is something called "HyperDrive," which is the name given to a gas-electric powertrain technology developed by Alex Severinsky and patented in 1994. HyperDrive is a way to get the energy from both the electric battery and the engine into the wheels, seamlessly. The patents are held by Paice, which is an unusual company (its HQ is a house in a retirement community, right by a golf course) that does nothing but litigate. You can read more on Paice here. The latest case targets Ford and the hybrid and plug-in versions of the C-Max and Fusion models as well as the Lincoln MKZ. Paice claims that it held "over 100 meetings and interactions with Ford" between 1999 and 2004, and gave the automaker, "detailed information about the hybrid technology that Paice had developed." The suit also alleges that: For more than five years, Paice answered inquiries from multiple departments within Ford, believing in good faith that a business relationship between Paice and Ford would be mutually beneficial and advance the acceptance of Paice's technology. ... After years of Ford learning the details of Paice's hybrid drivetrain technology, Ford elected not to enter into a business relationship with Paice. The suit is officially known as, "Paice LLC v. The Ford Motor Co., 14-492, U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland (Baltimore)" and you can read the PDF here. Ford told AutoblogGreen, "we do not comment on pending litigation." Toyota settled a similar patent-infringement case in 2010 and now pays Paice almost $100 for every hybrid it sells. Paice is still in court against Hyundai and Kia. In 2010, Ford also settled with Paice but they agreed to keep negotiating on other issues until at least January 1, 2014. With that date now in the past, it didn't take long for Paice to file papers to get the two sides back before a judge. That's where it appears to be most comfortable.

Ford reveals new rapid prototyping and low-volume production techniques [w/video]

It's called "F3T," and that stands for Ford Free-form Fabrication Technology. The process that The Blue Oval has developed means being able to sidestep the weeks-long process of tool-and-die making when engineers want to construct a new part, allowing them to fabricate a three-dimensional part from a two-dimensional sheet of metal in just hours.
While F3T is being developed it is limited to "low-volume prototyping or even low-volume niche vehicles," but the next step is to evaluate it for use in Ford's global manufacturing facilities. You can find out more about it in the video and the press release below.

Ford promises 12 new global performance vehicles through 2020

Ford just keeps rolling out the big announcements today. We've already told you about the next-gen Focus RS coming to the US and the upcoming Sync 3 infotainment system. And this latest one should perk up the ears of racing fans or anyone who enjoys an enthusiastic drive (basically, all Autoblog readers). The Blue Oval says it has "more than 12" new performance vehicles on the way globally through 2020. Unfortunately, the only one that the automaker confirms at the moment is the Focus RS, but recent rumors might suggest a few others. Ford reportedly has the Shelby Mustang GT350R, next-gen F-150 Raptor and a Ford GT successor all on the way, all of which could possibly debut at the Detroit Auto Show in January. The future GT might even take the company back to racing at Le Mans. Speaking of motorsports, Ford is also blending its performance vehicle and racing efforts worldwide into a unified entity by combining SVT, Team RS and Ford Racing into a new organization called Ford Performance. It's responsible not just for excelling on the track but also for developing aero improvements, electronics, powertrain and lightweight tech for the Blue Oval's vehicles. "Our new global Ford Performance team ties together racing, performance vehicles and parts. It will allow us to more quickly introduce products and accessories that meet the needs of customers around the world on-road and on the track," said Raj Nair, Ford group vice president, Global Product Development, in the company's press release. The automaker thinks this market might be booming, especially among younger buyers. For example, recent data shows Millennials buy ST models at twice the rate of the rest of Ford's cars. Scroll down to read the Blue Oval's full announcement of the new division and the plan to get excited about things to come. FORD DRIVING PERFORMANCE INNOVATION TO NEW LEVELS; MORE THAN 12 VEHICLES COMING FROM NEW GLOBAL TEAM Ford bringing more global performance vehicles to customers worldwide; more than 12 new performance vehicles through 2020 – including Focus RS – to be available globally Ford uniting regional performance engineering and racing teams as one global team under Ford Performance, delivering more new vehicles and parts, more quickly Ford will deliver more than 12 new performance vehicles for global enthusiasts through 2020, as the company announced today its new global Ford Performance team.