Tag Archives: Ford

Miss the smell of gasoline?? Ford just launched a fuel-scented perfume specially for EV owners

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In a bid to out-weird Elon Musk’s Tesla Tequila, Ford just announced a perfume that vaguely smells like gasoline, designed for EV owners who miss the wafting aroma of fossil fuels. The perfume even comes in a gas-pump-shaped bottle, and is rather cleverly named Mach-Eau, a play on the word “Macho” by combining Ford’s Mach-E with the French term ‘Eau’, often used to describe perfumes.

As Ford gradually makes its complete transition to electric vehicles (with the Mustang Mach-E and the electric F150 being announced in the past two years), they conducted a survey to find out what their customers missed most about petrol-powered cars. The results showed that “one in five drivers said the smell of petrol is what they’d miss most when swapping to an electric vehicle, with almost 70% claiming they would miss the smell of petrol to some degree.” Ford also claimed in a press release that Petrol ranked as a more popular scent than both wine and cheese, and almost identically to the smell of new books. Sounds weird, but also sounds about right, because strangely enough, I REALLY like the smell of petrol too… but enough to douse myself in a perfume that smells like it? Well, maybe not.

The company, however, made it clear as they unveiled their fragrance at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, that Mach-Eau doesn’t, in fact, smell entirely like gasoline, but rather draws on certain qualities of its aroma. Developed in partnership with renowned fragrance consultancy, Olfiction, “[The] Mach-Eau is designed to please the nose of any wearer; a high-end fragrance that fuses smoky accords, aspects of rubber and even an ‘animal’ element to give a nod to the Mustang heritage”, Ford mentioned in the press release. Be that as it may, the company hasn’t really put the Mach-Eau up for sale yet. Maybe it’ll come included with Ford’s next set of cars? Who ‘nose’. (get it? nose? knows?)

Designer: Pia Long of Olfiction (Client: Ford)

Developed with leading fragrance experts, Mach-Eau evokes traditional automotive scents

Iconic Eames Lounge Chair gets a timely upgrade by automotive designer Ian Callum

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Legendary Furniture Design meets cutting edge Automotive CMF.

2021 marks 65 years since the Eames Lounge Chair was first debuted by prolific design duo, Ray and Charles Eames. The chair and ottoman, with their bent plywood paneling and plush leather cushioning, look futuristic even by today’s standards and are every bit a design hallmark… however it hasn’t stopped British automotive designer Ian Callum from propelling it further into the future. The Callum Lounge Chair builds on the template of the Eames Lounge Chair, albeit with fresh, automotive-inspired design sensibilities and a carbon-fiber construction!

The chair comes from the studio Callum Designs, which was founded in 2019 after Ian Callum retired from his position as the Director of Design for Jaguar Land Rover. Callum’s 4-decade career also includes work for Ford, TWR, and Aston Martin. Embarking on a new creative journey with his own studio, the iconic British Designer debuted the Callum Lounge Chair – a piece of furniture that has a distinct automotive touch. Callum’s reinterpretation of the timeless mid-century design classic showcases sportscar contouring along with automotive-inspired electric blue cushions. The cushions sit against a wood and carbon fiber frame, giving the car its slick, sporty appeal. The vibrant Pantone palette was a conscious design choice too, straying from the Eames Lounge Chair’s black and brown aesthetic. The chairs are finished by hand in Callum Design’s in-house trim shop in their Warwickshire HQ.

Furniture is an exciting new domain for Ian, who’s spent over 40 years in the automotive world. In an interview with Wallpaper, Callum addressed how his previous experiences with chairs has always come with strings attached, given most of them fit inside cars. He mentions that with the Callum Lounge Chair, “[it] doesn’t have to pass any kind of crash test, which is refreshing”. The Callum Lounge Chair will remain a one-off prototype for now, unless it drums up enough customer interest… although one can expect them to cost a fortune!

Designer: Ian Callum (Callum Designs)

This hydrogen-powered pickup truck embodies the perfect balance of aesthetics + performance + utility

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Climate change and global warming are decimating the planet, and the burning of fossil fuels for the automotive industry is the major contributor. According to the EPA, since 1970, CO2 emissions have increased by about 90%, with emissions from fossil fuel combustion and industrial processes contributing about 78% of the total greenhouse gas emissions increase from 1970 to 2011. The metamorphosis to clean energy-powered vehicles is underway as electric, and hybrid vehicles vow to control the damage done. Hydrogen-powered vehicles are the latest alternative automotive manufacturers are exploring with Toyota Mirao, Hyundai Nexo, and Honda Clarity are good examples of commercially available zero-emission hydrogen cars. While hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are still not mainstream, that scenario will change in the next decade.

Envisioning a future where hydrogen-powered clean vehicles will make up a significant chunk of the portfolio of clean energy-powered automobiles, designer Jacob Amrhein presents his concept of a pickup truck for 2030. The idea here is to create a powerful 4×4 all-terrain vehicle built for the upcoming truck lovers. The pickup truck will be called Solidarity – developed by GM, Stellantis, and Ford – who are already investing quite a lot in low environmental impact vehicles for the planet, focusing on saving the earth before damaging the environment beyond a point of repair. Choosing hydrogen as the reliable fuel of the future for the automotive industry is recommended since it has a better range than electric vehicles or renewable energy use. According to estimates by industry body Hydrogen Council, hydrogen technologies will supply 18 percent of the world’s total energy needs in the future and will be able to power around 425 million vehicles around the world by 2050. The European Commission’s Energy Roadmap for 2050 has proposed that renewables will produce 85 percent of energy; 65 percent of it will come from solar and wind. 

The pickup’s bold design attracts attention with easily accessible dual hydrogen tanks perfectly integrated on the side and on top to suffice the needs on a long trip. Solidarity truck’s utility lies in its modular bed, which can be swapped out for accessories depending on the user’s needs. Also, the slide tie-down points along the bed structure ensure safely hauling the cargo. The tailgate slides under the bed for easy loading or unloading of cargo by facilitating easier reach-in access. It already sounds like a compelling proposition, isn’t it so?

Designer: Jacob Amrhein

Ford begins sharing its driver-collected accident data with other car makers

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There would be fewer accidents if drivers could tell each other about accidents and other potentially dangerous obstacles. That’s why Ford has started sharing its own car data, which includes airbag activations, emergency braking and fog light usage,...