Skip to main content

Tune in: Ford offers ad-free Pandora, but only until December 31

Ford ApplinkSmartphone users listening to Pandora through Ford’s Sync AppLink won’t have to deal with annoying ads, but only for a limited time. Ford is offering Pandora ad-free until the end of the year.

“Ford customers love both AppLink and Pandora, and we’re excited that through this partnership, they will be able to enjoy their favorite personalized radio stations on the road ad-free through the end of 2013,” Ford global director of connected services Doug Van Dagens said in a statement.

Recommended Videos

So while Ford drivers will have a non-satellite option for listening to a radio station (albeit a virtual one) without having to hear about used car sales, boat shows, or the need for donations from listeners like you, it will only be until the end of the year.

The Ford-Pandora alliance is part of a larger trend in automotive connectivity that sees car infotainment systems using the same popular apps as smartphones.

Sync AppLink allows Ford driver/users to use compatible phone-based apps with Sync’s voice controls. It basically turns a car into a four-wheeled smartphone interface, theoretically allowing drivers to indulge their smartphone addictions while keeping their hands on the wheel.

With their phones connected and Pandora synced with AppLink, drivers can do everything they normally do with Pandora, including playing music and creating new stations.

Pandora is one of about 30 apps available with Sync AppLink, which is compatible with iOS and Android. Others include iHeart Radio, Spotify, and Stitcher. Ford also launched an app developer contest at the 2013 Consumer Electronics Show to spur creation of new apps.

Sync AppLink is available on most Ford vehicles, including the Fusion, Fiesta, Mustang, C-Max, and F-Series trucks.

Stephen Edelstein
Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…
Eaton, Treehouse to boost home capacity for EV charging, energy storage
eaton treehouse ev charging news releases

Power-management firm Eaton likes to point out that when it launched in 1911, it invested in a new idea -- the very first gear-driven truck axle -- just at a time when both transportation and power management were on the cusp of dramatic change.
More than 113 years later, Eaton is again seeking to lead innovation in the current energy transition.
The power-management firm just signed a deal with Treehouse, an AI, software-enabled installation platform for electrification projects. The end goal: accelerating the electrification of homes for electric-vehicle (EV) charging, energy storage, or heat pumps, while seeking more efficiency and cost savings.
“At Eaton, we’re all-in on the energy transition and we’re making it happen at scale by delivering breakout technologies and industry collaborations needed to delight customers and make it more accessible and affordable,” says Paul Ryan, general manager of Connected Solutions and EV Charging at Eaton.
The partnership will ensure consumers are provided with accurate and fast pricing, as well as access to licensed electricians to deliver code-compliant installations, the companies say.
The collaboration also integrates into Eaton’s “Home as a Grid” approach, which supports the two-way flow of electricity, enabling homeowners to produce and consume renewable energy when they need it, Eaton says.
“For more than a century, power has flowed in one direction—from centralized power plants into homes,” the company says. “Today, there’s a new reality thanks to solar, electric-vehicle charging, energy storage, digitalization, and more.”
Projects to change homes and EVs into energy hubs have multiplied recently.
Last month, Nissan joined ChargeScape, a vehicle-to-grid (V2G) venture that is already backed by BMW, Ford, and Honda. ChargeScape’s software wirelessly connects EVs to power grids and utility companies, enabling consumers to receive financial incentives for temporarily pausing charging during periods of high demand. Eventually, consumers should also be able to sell the energy stored in their EVs’ battery back to the power grid.
In August, GM announced that V2G technology will become standard in all its model year 2026 models. And Tesla CEO Elon Musk has hinted that Tesla could introduce V2G technology for its vehicles in 2025.

Read more
Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and EVs offer big incentives as year nears its end
chrysler dodge jeep ev incentives record my24 hybrid gallery 04 exterior desktop jpg image 1440

It’s no secret that automakers and dealerships typically climb over each other to offer the best incentives before the year ends. But this year’s sales season is expected to be particularly competitive, with slowing sales translating to greater urgency to clear inventory.

According to research from Kelley Blue Book, the respected vehicle-valuation firm, overall incentives on new vehicle sales were up by 60% in October compared to the previous year.

Read more
Jeep, Ram EREVs will get 690-mile range with new Stellantis platform
A 2025 Ram 1500 Ramcharger sits in a vineyard.

Stellantis, the giant automotive group, is betting big on extending the range of both its hybrid and fully electric vehicles (EVs).

Last month, the company, which owns the Jeep, Dodge, and Ram brands in the U.S., invested nearly $30 million into an advanced wind tunnel at its research center in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The goal is to study airflow around a vehicle’s wheels and tires to further optimize its EVs and boost their range.

Read more