2004 Ford Escape Xlt Sport Utility 4-door 3.0l on 2040-cars

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Livestream: Ricardo Innovation & Sustainability Symposium 2015

Making decisions on how to invest billions of dollars in future technology is scary even if you're developing something as simple as a smartphone. But when you've got to invest that money in something as complex as a car – one that might drive itself, or operate just on electricity, or even possibly be crash-proof – that task becomes daunting. Today, at 9:00AM, a slate of auto industry leaders are gathering at automotive supplier Ricardo to celebrate the company's 100-year anniversary by looking toward the future. Moderated by Autoblog Editor-in-Chief Sharon Carty, the panel will talk about Ford's vision for the future, look at battery development, environmental issues, and may even debate the future of flying cars. Maybe. If you're interested in following along, take a look at the livestream. Government/Legal Green Ford Technology Emerging Technologies Videos ricardo Sakti3

Man chases down truck thief and steams it all on Facebook

A Washington man chased down a truck stolen from his family's dealership last Saturday and livestreamed the event on Facebook. According to KOMO, a 2005 Ford F-250 was stolen from Sunrise Auto Sales in Eatonville, Washington on the morning of October 8. Aaron Babcock, who co-owns the small dealership with his father David, told reporters that after reviewing surveillance footage, he later spotted the truck while riding his motorcycle on Webster Road East. "I watched my cameras and found the video of a man lurking around and ending up taking off with my truck," Babcock told KOMO. "Cops came and made a case. Three hours later I was on my motorcycle in Graham, and they drove by me oncoming. It still had dealer stickers on it. It said diesel on the window and it had our dealer plate on it. It stuck out like a sore thumb. It was really easy to see." Once he spotted the stolen Super Duty, he wheeled his bike around and gave chase. He attempted to call 911, but was unsure if the dispatcher heard him due to noise from the wind and the bike's engine. So he fired up Facebook live and started streaming his chase, giving running commentary and updating his location as he chased the slow-moving truck. "I wasn't going to let him get away. I was going to try follow him down. I had no idea what to do," Babcock said. "Nobody could hear me on the phone so I just figured the first thing to do is pull up Facebook live." Babcock's Facebook friends pitched in by calling 911 to report the chase and even jumping in their own cars to follow the truck. At one point, he pulled alongside the truck and recognized both men in the cab. The driver was the man seen lurking around the dealer lot in the surveillance video, and the passenger was an old friend of Babcock's. "I know who you are!" he shouted at them, but the hunkered down and kept driving. Eventually, Babcock lost cell phone signal and the livestream ended. Eatonville police, who by this point were well aware of the incident, caught up with the truck in the 8400 block of 356th Street South in Eatonville. The driver was arrested and the passenger was questioned and released. Both denied stealing the vehicle or knowing it was stolen. Two sets of keys from Sunrise Auto Sales and a stolen credit card were also recovered from the truck. Related Video

Ford Mustang to get four-cylinder in Europe, but not US

Fans of the Ford Mustang SVO, which was produced from 1884 through 1986 with a turbocharged 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine and a manual transmission, may be interested to know that Ford is reportedly going to introduce something similar for 2015. But don't get too excited if you live in the US, as Edmunds reports that the vehicle will be offered in Europe only. Boo!
According to the report, Ford will put a version of its EcoBoost turbocharged four-cylinder into the engine bay of the Mustang. The engine would be enlarged from its current 2.0 liters to 2.3 liters, taking horsepower from 252 to around 300. The well-known 5.0 V8 engine will also be available in Europe.
"The Mustang is uniquely Ford and has a huge fan base here in Europe. Now those fans have something to look forward to and we look forward to providing more details in the near future," says Ford of Europe CEO Stephen Odell. That's great... but why not offer buyers in the States the (likely) fuel-efficient turbo option, too?