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December 31st, 2008 at 11:29 am

Ford to debut vehicles that parallel park with the push of a button at Detroit auto show

in: Cars, HiTech

ford_self Ford to debut vehicles that parallel park with the push of a button at Detroit auto show

Sit back, relax and let your car parallel park itself — without a single scratch or ding to your bumper.That’s what Ford Motor Co. said Tuesday about its new self-parking technology, which it announced will debut as an option on the 2010 Lincoln MKS sedan and the new seven-passenger Lincoln MKT luxury crossover vehicle.The technology uses ultrasonic sensors on the front and rear of the vehicle, combined with electric power steering to angle and guide it into a snug parking space — all with the push of a button.

Ford isn’t the first to introduce cars that practically park themselves. Toyota Motor Corp.’s Lexus luxury line has a video camera-based parking system that can calculate whether the vehicle has enough clearance for a particular spot. But Ford’s technology is easier to use and works in downhill parking situations, unlike competing systems, according to Ford’s president of the Americas, Mark Fields.

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