Today, we present the figurative jelly bean game, but if this jar is full of Ford vehicles with EcoBoost® engines, you have to guess how many you think sold in 2011. Go ahead, take a moment; we’re again distracted by drooling, this time over a jar full of Ford vehicles.

The correct answer is 127,883 EcoBoost-equipped vehicles, making for record sales! And now Ford is aiming to more than triple the production capacity of EcoBoost-equipped Ford vehicles in 2012. This year, Ford will offer EcoBoost engines in 11 vehicles; in 2011, 7 had the engine. The EcoBoost has also contributed to accolades for Ford, such as the F-150 scoring the Motor Trend 2012 Truck of the Year® award.

Other big EcoBoost news has already included the 1.6-liter engine for the Escape and Fusion. “EcoBoost expansion and availability in high-volume nameplates such as the all-new Ford Escape and Fusion will take this affordable, fuel-saving technology to the heart of the market,” said Sue Cischke, Ford Group Vice President of Sustainability, Environment and Safety Engineering.

Additionally, the full-size Taurus sedan becomes the first Ford vehicle to offer customers a choice between two EcoBoost engines: a 2.0-liter four-cylinder making an estimated 237 horsepower and giving customers up to EPA-estimated, class-leading 31 mpg, while the iconic Taurus SHO sport sedan features a 365-horsepower, twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 delivering an EPA-estimated 25 mpg highway. Plus, the Focus ST arrives this year as a high-performance – yet fuel-efficient – sport compact EcoBoost application, and there’s the EcoBoost-powered Police Interceptor.

The EcoBoost sounds like quite the multitasker, doesn’t it? But it’s ready, having already been tortured and subjected to cold-weather testing.

Here’s a fun tidbit: In 2010, all F-150 trucks sold featured a V8 engine. Just one year later, 56 percent of 2011 F-150 customers bought pickups with a fuel-saving V6, either the base 305-horsepower 3.7-liter or the 365-horsepower 3.5-liter EcoBoost. By the end of 2012, nine Ford models will deliver or are anticipated to deliver an EPA-certified 40 mpg highway or higher, with still more fuel-efficient vehicles on the way.

Sounds like the Blue Oval might just deserve a bear.

It was the first use of the technology on a Ford sport utility vehicle, and you could call its usage in the United States downright groundbreaking. However, it has been utilized more commonly by European luxury vehicle manufacturers, and even more interesting is that the science behind acoustic mirrors can be traced back almost 100 years! A precursor to radar, it was used for “listening” for and detecting enemy aircraft along the coast of Great Britain during World War I.

How the tech has evolved in the case of the Escape is that it allowed engineers to make changes to the vehicle’s shape – notably the mirrors and A-pillar – while in the early clay model phase in order to test theories and validate expected results. The work was done in the Ford Aeroacoustic Wind Tunnel in Germany. “We previously didn’t have this tool available,” said Peter Kleesattel, Interior Quietness Development Engineer. “Essentially we were able to optimize the shape earlier. In noise and vibration, the basic idea is you have noise sources outside the vehicle and you have the path.”

Preliminary data shows the new Escape will be among the leaders in interior quietness. In particular, the tuning work on the A-pillar helps ensure better noise performance in crosswind situations. Wind noise performance has been optimized through more than 160 hours of engineering. In a typical eight-hour block, more than 20 configurations can be tested, including glass, mirror sealing and door sealing.

“Previous technologies required more of a trial-and-error approach to finding the issue,” added Bill Gulker, Ford NVH (noise, vibration and harshness) Supervisor.

Why is this relevant to Ford? Because cloud computing is the next big thing for in-vehicle technology, and the Ford show display at the 2012 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit will give attendees a view from “the Cloud,” providing a sneak peek of what’s in store for Blue Oval vehicles.

The display will allow Ford to showcase future trends, such as Changing Population Demographics, Emerging Technologies and Living Green. There will also be a super cool 20-foot-tall elevator to take visitors up to “the Cloud” for a 360-degree film showcasing the future of Ford in-car technology. Visitors to the Ford display will also be able to drive with motorsports star Ken Block, take a ride in a Mustang on the dyno or use trivia to plan out their next great “Escape.” We like to call it “augmented reality.”

Other exciting news is that the Ford display will feature the first-ever Blue Oval Card, offering a more focused, personalized experience for visitors. By registering online to receive a Blue Oval Card for accessing relevant content throughout their time in the Ford display, visitors will be able to capture videos that play, share a photo with their Facebook friends and even submit an opinion that will be displayed on the LED screens that appear on the stand.

NAIAS will be open to the public Saturday, January 14 through Saturday, January 21, 2012. For more info, visit www.naias.com.

At the heart of iHeartRadio, Clear Channel’s free digital radio service, are more than 800 popular live broadcast and digital-only stations as well as user-created custom stations. The SYNC-enabled iHeartRadio smartphone app can be accessed through simple voice commands in the growing number of Ford vehicles that now offer SYNC AppLink (10 for the 2012 model year!).

With the app, you can also start or stop a song, play local iHeartRadio stations and find traffic reports based on location through the phone’s GPS using simple voice commands or the buttons on the steering wheel, among other neat features.

The app allows you to use voice commands to find exactly what you want to listen to by saying “genre,” “city” or “personality” to search by type of music and location of station or host (no more turning dials!). iHeartRadio also connects users, hands-free through SYNC AppLink, to their Facebook Timelines, for sharing music with friends.

You want to hear other stations similar to what you’re already listening to? Say “recommend stations” or use the “my stations” command to listen to custom stations you’ve created or your favorite stations. While listening to custom stations, the “thumbs up” and “thumbs down” commands can be used to like or skip songs. The content of custom stations can be further adjusted by saying “more discovery” or “less discovery” to restrict the playlist to more familiar tracks or to expose you to new music.

And another new, cool music offering from Ford is the TuneIn Radio app, also available for vehicles equipped with the SYNC AppLink, providing yet another listening option that can be controlled hands-free through voice commands.

TuneIn is a free service for listening to live local and global music, sports, talk and news, with more than 50,000 AM, FM, HD and Internet radio stations along with more than 1 million on-demand programs streaming from all over the world.

Using voice commands only, TuneIn allows you to search and listen to radio stations worldwide by artist or genre. For example, by saying, “explore genre,” you can select hundreds of genres of music or talk stations like classic rock or German talk. Search geographically by saying “explore location.” TuneIn will then rank the most popular stations from the chosen location and start playing. More than 250 locations from around the world can be accessed via voice control.

TuneIn is available in 10 languages and on more than 150 devices across all major smartphones and tablets, connected home stereos, smart TVs, car dashboards and online at www.tunein.com. The SYNC-enabled version of TuneIn Radio soon will be available through the iTunes App Store.

Visit ford.com to learn more about SYNC AppLink.

What do we mean by coaching? The MyFord Mobile app and the Electric join forces to make your driving experience more efficient. What do we mean by social networking? The MyFord Mobile website will have leaderboards and networking within the community forum, where you can share your driving experience, answer questions drivers may have and provide helpful tips to others. And what do we mean by fun? As with a video game, you can earn achievements based on how far you drive and how much CO2 you save by not using gas. The leaderboards will help you track your driving results against other Focus Electric drivers.

There are also “surprise achievements” embedded in the app based on your activities (a concept similar to “Easter eggs” in a video game, scoring you extra points).

MyFord Mobile was announced in early 2011 as a social platform to revolutionize the electric vehicle driving experience. Read more about the app by clicking here. In November, the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) named the app winner of the software and mobile app category. Additionally, CES awarded MyFord Mobile the “Best of Innovation” recognition, a first for an OEM. Ford will showcase the beta version and new social networking components of the MyFord Mobile app with the new Focus Electric for the first time, live at the 2012 International CES, January 10-13, 2012, in Las Vegas. Click here to see all of our stories relating to the 2012 International CES.

The Focus Electric will be available through dealers in the first half of this year.

Lane Keeping System (or LKS) is, simply put, designed to help you stay inside the lines, and we know that’s of much importance not only when coloring, but while driving! LKS is set up to alert and assist if your vehicle drifts out of the lane. It recognizes the problem via a windshield-mounted digital camera that detects lane markers and the vehicle’s position on the road. Three levels of assistance help in real time: Lane Keeping Alert, Lane Keeping Aid and Driver Alert.

Once vehicle speed is above 40 mph and lane markers are clearly visible on the road, an icon that looks like a car between two lanes lights up green in the instrument cluster to indicate the system has been enabled. LKS takes advantage of the electric power-assisted steering (EPAS) used in the new Fusion to provide a vibrating alert to you before gently steering the car back into the lane if you don’t respond.

When the system detects the vehicle is approaching the edge of the lane without a turn signal activated, the lane marker in the icon turns yellow and the steering wheel vibrates to simulate driving over rumble strips. If you don’t respond and continue to drift, the lane icon turns red and EPAS will nudge the steering and the vehicle back toward the center of the lane. If the vehicle continues to drift, the vibration is added again along with the nudge. You can overcome assistance and vibration at any time by turning the steering wheel, accelerating or braking.

Michael Kane, Ford Development Engineer, explained that LKS “keeps track of behavior over a longer period while driving. If a driver is tired, this can often be detected by the car constantly drifting back and forth across the road.” You can monitor whether the system is detecting behavior consistent with drowsy driving with an alert gauge in the instrument cluster that features a steaming cup of coffee. In other words, consider taking a break. If you don’t take one and the system detects a driving pattern consistent with being tired, an audible chime and a visual alert will suggest you stop and rest. If the same conditions persist and you don’t stop, a second, more assertive warning will be issued. As soon as you stop and shut off the engine or opens the door, the monitor resets its information.

Michael added, “We’ve put a lot of effort into ensuring the accuracy of the lane detection and the smoothness of the assist.” The LKS  technology will also be available on the Explorer in 2012, and Ford intends to offer LKS on more of its vehicles over the next several years.

We mentioned in the title not to melt ice with hot water. Specifically, never pour hot water onto your windshield, as it can crack the glass. However, do use winterized windshield wiper fluid to ensure your wiper sprayer doesn’t freeze over or crack. And we know the “vacation” you’re on is often far from being a truly relaxing vacation with a leisurely pace, but make sure you do set aside a few spare moments to be able to clear snow and ice from the windows so you have visibility. An easy thing to forget: clear snow and ice from your headlights and taillights, too.

Now, it might seem like an odd idea to wash your car these days, but it will remove road salt and dirt; that grime can prematurely age the body of your vehicle. Guess maybe we need to think about taking showers more often if lack of bathing equals premature aging.

Mom always told us to make sure we never had less than a half a tank of fuel in case of an emergency, and in winter her advice is even more sound, because the last thing you need is to get stranded. But since Ford vehicles have fuel efficiency in mind, thanks to the EcoBoost® engines, electric power-assisted steering and hybrid technology, you’ll be getting the most out of that tank! Also make sure fluid levels are where they should be and that your tires, including the spare, have the proper air pressure and tread.

OK, so you’ve packed the car with all the presents and other festive necessities, but make sure you save room for emergency items, like a blanket to stay warm, boots/jacket/hat/gloves for if you have to be outside, a shovel, a flashlight (make sure the batteries are fresh) and snacks. And above all, make sure your cell phone is fully charged! Kitty litter or sand are also good to pack, as they can be used as additional traction should your car get stuck in the snow. And if you do get stuck in the snow or are broken down, don’t leave your car unless shelter is nearby. If you need to run the engine to stay warm, make sure the exhaust pipe isn’t clogged with snow; you want the interior to stay free of carbon monoxide.

Speaking of traction and driving, both can indeed be tricky in inclement weather, so remember to watch out for blind spots and pedestrians; people can be very distracted this time of year! While you may get frustrated by people poking along in front of you as they look at holiday lights or try to sort out unfamiliar surroundings, don’t follow too closely; the general rule is the vehicle ahead should pass a road marker two seconds before you. In slippery conditions, it is recommended to double the amount of space between you and the vehicle in front.

If the roads do get slick, apply even pressure when braking if your vehicle has antilock brakes. Turn the steering wheel in the direction of the slide on snowy or icy roads until you gain control. Don’t apply power or suddenly change directions on snow or ice.

And finally, be awake and alert behind the wheel. Taking breaks or grabbing a coffee are good things to do! And don’t drink and drive if you’ve had too much to drink at a party. Be safe out there!

Wait, there’s yet another ground-breaker: It will be the first electrified vehicle to offer faster charging with 240-volt outlets, which can be installed in customer homes. The battery can be recharged in just more than three hours using a 240-volt charging station, about half the charging time of the 2012 Nissan Leaf.

The Focus Electric will be powered by an advanced lithium-ion (li-ion) battery system with an advanced active liquid cooling and heating system to precondition and regulate the temperature in its larger, more complex battery system.

Science geeks, dig this: The active liquid system heats or chills a coolant before pumping it through the battery cooling system. This loop regulates temperature throughout the system against external conditions. On hot days, chilled liquid absorbs heat from the batteries, dispersing it through a radiator before pumping it through the chiller again. On cold days, heated liquid warms the batteries, gradually bringing the system’s temperature to a level that allows it to efficiently accept charge energy and provide enough discharge power for expected vehicle performance.

The durability and longevity of batteries – which Ford has been developing and testing since the 1980s – is essential as the company expands its electrification plan. To date, among the nearly 43 million battery cells Ford has tested or seen put to work in customer vehicles, only five issues have been documented.

And about those Ford electrification and fuel-efficiency plans: Nearly one-third of the vehicle lines will feature a model with 40 mpg or more in 2012. The rollout of electrified vehicles began in December 2010 with the 2011 Ford Transit Connect Electric – a small commercial van built in collaboration with Azure Dynamics. The other 40-mpg vehicles include the Focus SE, Fiesta, C-MAX Hybrid and Energi and three vehicles yet to be announced. The C-MAX Hybrid and C-MAX Energi a Ford next-generation powersplit hybrid technology in combination with a lighter, smaller lithium-ion battery system. Both models provide maximum fuel efficiency by pairing the high-voltage lithium-ion battery and electric traction motor with a high-efficiency Atkinson-cycle gasoline engine. This technology enables the gasoline engine to run less than the previous generation.

(Fun fact: When the C-MAX Hybrid launches, Ford becomes North America’s largest maker of hybrid transmissions.)

And further helping the efficiency of the Focus Electric will be a unique version of the MyFord Touch® driver-connect system especially for electric vehicles as well as a smartphone app called MyFord® Mobile that helps plug-in owners control their vehicles remotely.

That’s why Ford is beyond stoked to talk about its new hybrids, the C-MAX Hybrid and C-MAX Energi plug-in hybrid, both of which go on sale in the second half of 2012. The C-MAX Energi is expected to deliver a better fuel economy equivalent in charge-depleting mode than the Toyota Prius plug-in hybrid with a 500-mile overall driving range, more than Chevrolet Volt. The new C-MAX Hybrid is targeted to achieve better fuel economy than the Toyota Prius v. The C-MAX hybrids will be the company’s first dedicated hybrid vehicle line and the first MAV (multi-activity vehicle) line in North America.

And, by the way, you think great fuel economy is important to you? Ford might have you beat with its near-term electrification plan; it intends to triple production capacity of its electrified vehicle range by 2013. The C-MAX vehicles will be built on the company’s global C-segment platform and are two of five electrified vehicles Ford plans to launch in North America in 2012.

C-MAX Hybrid and C-MAX Energi get their power through the combination of a gasoline engine and a battery-driven electric motor. When powered by gasoline, the two C-MAX vehicles use the all-new 2.0-liter Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder engine – a powerful and fuel-efficient engine and among the most advanced non-turbocharged four-cylinder powertrains Ford has ever offered.

The electric motors of the C-MAX hybrids are powered by advanced lithium-ion (li-ion) battery systems designed to maximize use of common, high-quality components, such as control board hardware. Li-ion battery packs are more efficient than nickel-metal-hydride (NiMH) batteries. They also are 25 to 30 percent smaller and 50 percent lighter than NiMH batteries used in today’s first-generation hybrid vehicles.

The C-MAX line has plenty of other cool attributes beyond crazy-good fuel economy. For example, there’s the new and innovative hands-free liftgate appearing on some new Ford vehicles, allowing for easy access to the cargo department without the need for keys to open it; a kicking motion under the rear bumper opens and closes the liftgate. The newest version of SYNC® with MyFord Touch® is another feature, as is the next generation of SmartGauge® with EcoGuide, giving instantaneous fuel economy info and tips for optimizing regenerative braking for driving range. For the Energi, there is also MyFord® Mobile, a smartphone app that gives you the ability to monitor charging, receive alerts, find charging stations and more via phone or computer. Other available technology for C-MAX includes active park assist, push-button start, AM/FM/CD/MP3 Sony® Audio, HD Radio™ and voice-activated Navigation System.

In the safety department, the C-MAX hybrids offer standard technologies such as the MyKey® teen safety feature, SYNC 911 Assist™ and seven airbags. SYNC 911 Assist uses hands-free phone capabilities to connect the driver directly with a local 911 operator through the paired phone should an accident occur in which an airbag deploys. The C-MAX hybrids also have driver-assist technologies, including Curve Control, designed to slow the vehicle when it’s cornering too fast, and Torque Vectoring Control to help accelerate through a turn when necessary. AdvanceTrac® with Roll Stability Control™ (RSC) and electric power-assisted steering (EPAS) also are standard.

Weekly episodes will launch on multiple distribution platforms to show highlights from each adventure. Additionally, short-form vignettes will promote the show and drive consumers to the deeper online/mobile platform. Each day, followers can tune into the live-streaming feed that allows them to become participants and impact the outcome of the program through a series of interactive challenges.

Each team will have its own personal content creator selected from blogging networks. This person will be embedded with Escape Routes and capture exclusive behind-the-scenes content that will be distributed through his or her social graph as well as other earned and owned platforms.

For six weeks, teams will be in front of the camera, battling it out for cash and prizes. Think you’ve got the driving chops, killer instincts and spirited enthusiasm needed to not only compete but to win? Bring it! Apply online at escaperoutes.com or head over in person to one of the following casting calls (details are at escaperoutes.com):

December 17: Dallas and Boston

January 7: Seattle and Miami

January 14: San Francisco and Atlanta

At escaperoutes.com you can also check out video of the kind of adventures you can expect from Escape Routes.

Ford has teamed up with Emmy-winning reality producers for Escape Routes, and it’s expected to be even bigger and more through-the-roof than last year’s wildly popular online competition series, Ford Focus Rally America!

Visit ford.com to learn more about the 2013 Ford Escape.