CMAX DESTINATION TRACKING

[ANTHONYSCOTT]

IS ANYONE ELSE CURIOUS ABOUT THE CMAX ABILITY TO DETERMINE YOUR DISTANCE TO YOUR DESTINATION?

THE OWNERS MANUAL STATES THAT THE CMAX ATTEMPTS TO USE MORE EV UTILIZATION AS YOU APPROACH YOUR DESTINATION.

I UNDERSTAND HOW THAT COULD BE EASILY DONE IF YOU WERE USING NAVIGATION WITH A DESTINATION SET. BUT THE MANUAL MAKES NO REFERENCE TO TO NAVIGATION DESTINATION BEING REQUIRED.

I HAVE NOTICED THAT AS I AM APPROACHING A FREQUENT ADRESS, THAT THE EV WILL DRAIN THE BATTERY IN AN ATTEMPT TO USE EV ALL THE WAY TO THE DESTINATION. DOES THE CMAX MARKS GPS COORDINATES EVERY TIME THE KEY IS TURNED OFF AND MAP OUR CURRENT POSITION IN RELATION TO THE CLOSEST FREQUENTLY VISITED DESTINATION?

[RachelnLa]

EV+ kicks in after you have been to the same location X times. I don't recall how many times. I do know if I am in town and get close to my office the EV+ kicks in. I am not sure how many locations it remembers.

[lpr]

Do you need the navigation package for this ability? 

[nsteblay]

EV+ Mode (from manual)

 

Your vehicle will recognize your frequent destinations and allow for more EV driving as you approach them. For example, when nearing your home it should be easier to stay in electric mode. The EV indicator will display EV+ when this mode is active. You should see this approximately 1/8 mile (200 meters) from a frequent destination.

 

Note: Frequent destinations are learned by your vehicle after two to four weeks of use. These destinations can be cleared with a Lifetime Summary reset through the Settings menu.

 

Note: The EV+ feature can be turned on or off through the Driver Assist section of the Settings menu.

 

I don't believe you need the navigation package.

[Noah Harbinger]

I've heard it said that the GPS navigation only costs like $15 in production quantities. They could easily be sticking one in every car just for the EV+ feature without it adding much cost to the vehicle. 

[salsaguy]

every car has GPS whether or not you bought it. this is for the 911 emergency in case they need to track you if you killed or kidnapped someone or you call 911 hands-free and they need to track your location. the navigation package with the maps and driving directions is what you pay extra for which uses the already installed GPS unit in the car to interface with.

[roninsd]

I've heard it said that the GPS navigation only costs like $15 in production quantities. They could easily be sticking one in every car just for the EV+ feature without it adding much cost to the vehicle. 

You don't need the navigation system for EV+.  You just need to turn it on in the settings.  Once set, the car will recognize frequently visited locations (home, office, etc).  Takes a week or two before you see it come on.

[JohnnOhio]

Salsaguy is correct. All C Maxes have GPS tracking and the car uses the information from this to determine frequent destinations. It then can know when to activate EV+. I believe that EV+ activates after 15 visits to the same location.

[lpr]

Thanks for the information. It's nice to know that you don't need the navigation package for this options. 

[mnrobitaille]

This may be a different experience for everyone else, but I use NAV everywhere I go. I do notice that EV does get used more closer to waypoint/destination compared to not using NAV.

[ArizonaEnergi]

I seem to recall the number of visits to the same location needs to be 11 to trigger the feature, and just turning your car on and off 11 times while stopped there will do it - no time span required.

[zhackwyatt]

Salsaguy is correct. All C Maxes have GPS tracking and the car uses the information from this to determine frequent destinations. It then can know when to activate EV+. I believe that EV+ activates after 15 visits to the same location.

Remember all versions of Sync have navigation even if you don't buy the navigation package in MFT or even if you don't have MFT at all. It works with Sync Services.

 

http://www.ford.com/technology/sync/packages/

[Noah Harbinger]

every car has GPS whether or not you bought it. this is for the 911 emergency in case they need to track you if you killed or kidnapped someone or you call 911 hands-free and they need to track your location. the navigation package with the maps and driving directions is what you pay extra for which uses the already installed GPS unit in the car to interface with.

 

The ability for the car to know where it is is completely unrelated to its ability to receive or transmit that information. The vehicle has no way of either knowing if anyone wants to track you, or transmitting that information elsewhere without placing an explicit call on your cellphone. Claiming the car's GPS could be used against you in that way is paranoid BS. 

[viajero]

The ability for the car to know where it is is completely unrelated to its ability to receive or transmit that information. The vehicle has no way of either knowing if anyone wants to track you, or transmitting that information elsewhere without placing an explicit call on your cellphone. Claiming the car's GPS could be used against you in that way is paranoid BS. 

 

MyFordMobile does this all the time.  I can log in to their website and see where my car is on a map, or even start it remotely over the internet.  People on these forums have reported using it to track where their car went while in for service at the dealership.  When you start driving, it pops up a message on the dashboard screen telling you to warn your passengers they're being tracked.

 

If I can log in and tell their servers to get this information from the car, then their system administrators could certainly do the same without me initiating anything.  I have no evidence to say that Ford or the police or the feds or whoever your favorite bogeyman is are actually doing this, but they definitely have the ability to do so.  Well, at least as long as you're in range of the cell network it's using.

[zhackwyatt]

The ability for the car to know where it is is completely unrelated to its ability to receive or transmit that information. The vehicle has no way of either knowing if anyone wants to track you, or transmitting that information elsewhere without placing an explicit call on your cellphone. Claiming the car's GPS could be used against you in that way is paranoid BS. 

OR a misunderstanding of how the technology works.

 

MyFordMobile does this all the time.  I can log in to their website and see where my car is on a map, or even start it remotely over the internet.  People on these forums have reported using it to track where their car went while in for service at the dealership.  When you start driving, it pops up a message on the dashboard screen telling you to warn your passengers they're being tracked.

 

If I can log in and tell their servers to get this information from the car, then their system administrators could certainly do the same without me initiating anything.  I have no evidence to say that Ford or the police or the feds or whoever your favorite bogeyman is are actually doing this, but they definitely have the ability to do so.  Well, at least as long as you're in range of the cell network it's using.

The C-Max Energi has a cell modem in it, so yes, in the Energi you can be tracked. The non-energi C-Max does not have a modem, so there is no way to be tracked.

[JAZ]

If you have a cell phone with you in the vehicle, then you are being tracked.

You do know that your phone is always communicating with the towers when it's turned on, right?  That's how it works -- it has to occasionally ping back and forth between the tower and device in order for a call to route to you, a text message to be delivered, etc.

Guess what?  There now is a court ruling that since you voluntarily "gave" that information to the cell company even though it would be impossible for you to have such a device and have it work without giving that data to them because your giving that data (your location) was "voluntary" it is not protected under the 4th Amendment and thus does not require a warrant.

http://market-ticker.org/akcs-www?singlepost=3249552

Not at all interested in any political discussion about this, just want all to know that 'they' can easily know where and when 'we' are.

Edited September 8, 2013 by JAZ

[Noah Harbinger]

MyFordMobile does this all the time.  I can log in to their website and see where my car is on a map, or even start it remotely over the internet.  People on these forums have reported using it to track where their car went while in for service at the dealership.  When you start driving, it pops up a message on the dashboard screen telling you to warn your passengers they're being tracked.

 

If I can log in and tell their servers to get this information from the car, then their system administrators could certainly do the same without me initiating anything.  I have no evidence to say that Ford or the police or the feds or whoever your favorite bogeyman is are actually doing this, but they definitely have the ability to do so.  Well, at least as long as you're in range of the cell network it's using.

 

MyFordMobile is a special case. Such vehicles are equipped with GSM (cell phone) modules to talk to Ford's central forums. You'll notice that only Energi models have this feature available - it is because those GSM modules are not installed in other vehicles. So that information is not available for other vehicles.

[Noah Harbinger]

OR a misunderstanding of how the technology works.

 

By definition, paranoia can only be based on misunderstanding. The difference is what compels a person to hold a particular misunderstanding. 

[Bill-N]

Do you need the navigation package for this ability? 

 

No.  Remember navigation and gps are NOT the same thing.  Every C-Max has a gps unit.  This is how EV+ knows when to kick-in.  Navigation adds streets, directions, etc. (Sync services not withstanding),

[ANTHONYSCOTT]

that is not necessasrily true, when you have your aoto serviced, all of the gps locations could be uploaded to a NAS location allong with the vin number. all of your frequent locations could be known. i'm not worried about it because i am not involved in criminal activity. but it could provide information to be used in a prosecution.

The ability for the car to know where it is is completely unrelated to its ability to receive or transmit that information. The vehicle has no way of either knowing if anyone wants to track you, or transmitting that information elsewhere without placing an explicit call on your cellphone. Claiming the car's GPS could be used against you in that way is paranoid BS. 

[oldloboy]

EV+ kicks in after you have been to the same location X times. I don't recall how many times. I do know if I am in town and get close to my office the EV+ kicks in. I am not sure how many locations it remembers.

A C Max reviewer mentioned that Ford "cuts into the lithium battery lifetime slightly" by draining away more of its charge, as one approaches a learned destination, than the software would allow during normal driving.  That is, EV+ may be slightly unhealthy for the battery.  After reading this, I set my EV+ feature to off.  Lithium batteries must be treated well to survive thousands of discharge-charge cycles and so I run the gas engine for a bit when I'm about a half-mile from my home.

[fbov]

Two things.

 

Data on battery life indicates that Li-ion have superior longevity to NiMH. The dotted curves are Ford's Key Life Test results, showing far slower degradation with Li-ion. The dots are actual data for NiMH batteries showing the Key Life Test is conservative. C-Max uses Li-ion, Prii NiMH.

http://www.designnews.com/author.asp?section_id=1366&doc_id=256425&dfpPParams=ind_184,industry_auto,bid_318,aid_256425&dfpLayout=blog

 

Don't discount regen braking. Most of us are on our brakes pulling into the driveway, resulting in a bit of a boost for the battery. Some of even live at the bottom of a hill!

 

HAve fun,

Frank

Edited September 12, 2013 by fbov

[JohnnOhio]

Ever since I got the mpg update a few months ago my ev+ has only come back for home and work never grocery or dept store I frequent. Wonder why this is? Last week I noticed ev+ didn't come on as I aproached home heading south, but did work later that day heading north home. Strange?

Any ideas?

[Jus-A-CMax]

Ever since I got the mpg update a few months ago my ev+ has only come back for home and work never grocery or dept store I frequent. Wonder why this is? Last week I noticed ev+ didn't come on as I aproached home heading south, but did work later that day heading north home. Strange?

Any ideas?

Do the ole turn-off/turn-on trick. I have 3 EV+ locations at the moment, one for home, work and the body shop<---damn car spent too much time there ;)  Time for a reset.

 

I live at the top of a hill, this EV+ definitely saves me a whole bunch of gas as I get home, for sure. Not fast but jus fast enuf.

[JohnnOhio]

That's right ! I forgot about the turn off and on trick.

 

Thanks