|
Staten Island
is one of the five boroughs of New York City that you can visit
with your Van
Rentals. Since it is located on an island, it is the most
geographically separate borough in the city. With a population
of about 470,000, it is the smallest of the boroughs and is
sometimes called "the forgotten borough" or the "step-sister
borough" since it is less well-known then the others.
Step onto the rock
Staten Island
was shaped during the last ice age when ice sheets that covered
North America reached the center of
Staten Island.
At this point, Long Island and
Staten Island
were connected. Once the ice sheets receded, human inhabitation
quickly followed. When you visit with your
Van Rentals
you can still see evidence of this ice age when you see the
rock formations. The Clovis culture has been dated back approximately
14,000 years in the area, when the island was possibly abandoned.
This was likely because large animals disappeared from the area,
therefore there were no reliable food sources. But, American
Indians returned to the area about 5000 years ago.
Discover a whole new world
In the 16th century, European contact with the island was
established. The Dutch gave the area the name Staten Eylant,
which is close the name today. The Dutch preferred to colonize
Manhattan rather than
Staten Island
because many of the settlements on the island were destroyed
by American Indians. After the Second Anglo-Dutch War in 1667,
the island came under British control.
Fight the good fight
You may learn while you are here with your
Van Rentals
that the island was largely Loyalist during the American Revolution.
However, it was very costly to support the British troops. The
island was nearly destroyed by the troops who needed the resources
such as wood for their war effort. After the war, many of the
loyalists on the island left for Canada. In 1898, the towns
on the island were abolished and the island was consolidated
with the city of New York. And you have what is now the fifth
borough of the city, which you can visit with your
Van Rentals.
It wasn't until 1964 that the area really began to develop.
When the Verrazano Narrows Bridge opened, the area began to
expand. Today it is a largely suburban area within the city.
Get away to the green
Staten Island
has a large national park, the Gateway National Recreation Area.
When you visit with your
Van Rentals
you will find one of the largest park systems in the area, which
also includes Jamaica Bay and Sandy Hook.
Staten Island
has a surprising number of museums you can visit with your
Van Rentals.
There is the Alice Austen House Museum, the Conference House,
Historic Richmond Town, Jacques Marchais Museum of Tibetan Art,
and it will soon be home to the National Lighthouse Museum.
Staten Island
is a great place to visit with your
Van Rentals
when you want to get away from the hustle and bustle of New
York, but want to see more of the city.
- Ford’s class-leading E-Series full-size van delivers
even more functionality for 2009, thanks to class-leading
convenience features including integrated navigation system
and SIRIUS Travel Link™, plus a redesigned instrument panel
that includes four new upfitter switches.
- Ford Work Solutions, a collection of affordable ‘smart’
technologies – including four industry-first features –
will provide E-Series customers connectivity, flexibility
and security to better run key aspects of their business
– from their van, cutaway or wagon, even on the job site.
- Ford is the commercial vehicle leader in the U.S. with
40 percent share of the total commercial vehicle market
and has been the full-size van leader with the Ford E-Series
Van Rentals 15 Seat Person Vans For Hirefor 29 years running.
Manufactured at Ford's Ohio Assembly Plant in Avon Lake,
Ohio, 2009 Ford E-Series Van Rentals 15 Seat Person Vans
For Hirewill be available in August.
ATLANTA, Feb. 26, 2010 – Ford E-Series Van Rentals 15 Seat
Person Vans For Hire– America’s top selling full-size van for
29 years running – delivers an improved interior for 2009, along
with new tools designed to help customers manage their fleets
more efficiently, track and secure tools and better serve customers.
|
2009 Ford
E-Series: Ford’s class-leading E-Series full-size van delivers
even more functionality for 2009 thanks to a redesigned
instrument panel that includes four new upfitter switches
and class-leading convenience features like integrated navigation
system and SIRIUS Travel Link™.
E-Series updates include a redesigned instrument panel and
console, door trim panels with more storage, built-in auxiliary
switches users can customize, wider-opening rear doors, more
comfortable seats, a first-in-class factory-installed navigation
system and Ford Work Solutions – a collection of technologies
aimed at making business and fleet owners more productive and
successful.
“Continuously listening to our customers and delivering solutions
to meet their unique vehicle and business needs are the driving
forces behind Ford’s commercial vehicle leadership,” said Kevin
Koswick, director, Ford North American Fleet, Lease and Remarketing
Operations. “Today, more E-Series are on the road with 250,000
miles or more than vans from any other manufacturer. Smart customers
know that E-Series deliver the durability, cargo capacity, flexibility
and technologies that make these the most capable full-size
vans on the market.”
‘Built Ford Tough’ E-Series Delivers More
Understanding E-Series is the van of choice for a range of
customers – from small business owners to custom upfitters to
larger commercial fleet operators – Ford is offering new features
and technologies to make work and travel more productive and
convenient. They include:
- Four industry-exclusive Ford Work Solutions
innovations:
- An in-dash computer developed with Magneti Marelli
and powered by Microsoft Auto that provides full high-speed
Internet access via the Sprint Mobile Broadband Network
and navigation by Garmin. It’s the first broadband-capable
in-dash computer in production and features available
wireless accessories including a mouse and printer.
This system allows customers to print invoices and access
documents stored on their home or office computer networks
– right on the job site.
- Tool Link, a Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID)
asset tracking system developed with DEWALT, the industry
leader in professional power tools, and ThingMagic,
the industry expert on embedded RFID technology. This
enables customers to maintain a detailed real-time inventory
of the tools or equipment stored in the vehicle.
- Crew Chief, a fleet telematics and diagnostics system,
which allows small fleet owners to efficiently manage
their vehicles, quickly dispatch workers to job sites
and keep detailed vehicle maintenance records.
- Cable Lock security system developed in partnership
with Master Lock®, the industry-leading lock manufacturer,
to secure large tools or equipment in the cargo area
of E-Series vans and wagons.
All four Ford Work Solutions technologies also will be available
this fall on the new 2009 Ford F-150 XL, STX, XLT and FX4 trucks;
F-Series Super Duty XL, XLT and FX4 pickup trucks. Transit Connect
vans join the lineup in mid-2009.
- A navigation system integrated into
the instrument panel with a 6.5-inch touch screen display.
This is available for the first time in E-Series along with
SIRIUS satellite radio.
- SIRIUS Travel Link, an industry-exclusive
feature. When coupled with navigation, this system provides
a collection of data services including real-time local
traffic, coast-to-coast weather conditions and fuel price
information for more than 120,000 gas stations.
- Reverse Camera System, which mounts
a small camera at the rear of the vehicle. It’s activated
when the van is shifted into reverse, giving the driver
a clear view behind the vehicle. The video image is displayed
in the navigation screen on vans equipped with that option
or in the self-dimming rearview mirror on vans without the
navigation system. The screen image includes an industry-first
centerline and colored guides, which provide the driver
a better perspective of the vehicle’s center point and periphery.
Comfort and Convenience Built Into the Interior
For 2009, the E-Series features a tougher, more functional interior
that better reflects its exterior design, which was improved
for 2008. New features include:
- A new, more user-friendly instrument panel and center
console.
- Even more storage, cleverly integrated throughout.
- Redesigned door trim panels feature integrated second-bin
compartments. A contents-retention strap helps secure
items in the driver’s door.
- The instrument panel has a new storage tray above
the passenger air bag.
- The center console doubles the usable storage space
of the previous version – and now includes three larger
cup holders that can accommodate a wider variety of
cup/mug sizes, an integrated clipboard holder and space
for a laptop.
- Four new optional user-defined switches on the dashboard
and a more efficient wiring harness, which make it easier
for upfitters to integrate aftermarket features such as
auxiliary lighting.
- An optional audio input jack on the instrument panel
that connects E-Series to MP3 players and other portable
audio devices.
- A new glove box that provides still more storage and
a second power point.
- A new message center available in E-Series vans and
wagons that features standard vehicle maintenance information
as well as miles-to-empty and fuel economy numbers. The
message center is standard on vans equipped with the 6.0-liter
Power Stroke® V-8 Turbo Diesel engine and includes an engine-hour
meter that keeps a running total of engine use, even during
idling.
“Customers let us know what an important tool their E-Series
can be taking care of business, and that’s why we’ve continued
investing in these vehicles, building on the suspension and
chassis improvements, new cargo management system upgrades and
improved exterior design we delivered on E-Series for 2008,”
Koswick said. “Beyond these new technology-based solutions,
though, we haven’t overlooked ways to improve the essential
elements of E-Series vans.”
Core upgrades include:
- A new door system that makes it easier
to move the rear doors to their full-open position. A detent
in the system allows the doors to be held open at 95 degrees
and when needed, they can be opened to 172 degrees with
a simple push. This allows full access to the rear cargo
area.
- More fueling options. E-Series full-size
cargo vans equipped with 4.6-liter and 5.4-liter engines
are capable of running on E85 (85 percent ethanol and 15
percent gasoline), pure gasoline or any blend in between
– a segment first. All E-Series engines are designed to
meet 2010 emissions standards.
- Added safety equipment, including a
new optional, dash-mounted front-passenger air bag cutoff
switch on vans and cutaways; standard AdvanceTrac® with
RSC® (Roll Stability Control) on all wagons and recreational
vans and optional on commercial vans with gasoline engines;
and an optional factory-installed integrated trailer brake
controller that allows direct operation of the trailer’s
electronic brakes by squeezing the control module on the
instrument panel with more confidence than typical aftermarket
systems.
About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based
in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles
in 200 markets across six continents. With about 245,000 employees
and about 100 plants worldwide, the company’s core and affiliated
automotive brands include Ford, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lincoln,
Mercury, Volvo and Mazda. The company provides financial services
through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding
Ford’s products, please visit
www.ford.com.
|
|
