A new era in personalised transport technology, with a smart adaptive car plugged in to the driver’s lifestyle via his “personal cloud”, is presaged in the Evos.

Imagine climbing into your car and having it automatically play the same music or news programme that was just streaming at home. And having the interior pre-heated or cooled to just the right temperature, based on a predicted departure time on your calendar. You wouldn’t even need to hit the garage door and light-switch remote: that would be done wirelessly, automatically.

Welcome to the car as PA. Ford’s first global design language, and the company’s new vision for customer-focused and intuitive technologies, are showcased in this dramatic four-door, four-seat fastback concept with lithium-ion plug-in hybrid powertrain.

Technology is not an end in itself, says Ford’s chief technical officer and vice-president of research and innovation, Paul Mascarenas. “(I)t’s about the application of that technology to create an experience that enhances the driver’s time behind the wheel.”

The idea is to connect seamlessly between the car and the driver’s “personal cloud” of information linking a lifestyle that encompasses home, office and car.

We’ll see a car that knows the driver and automatically adapts handling, steering and engine controls. It will pull in data on everything from work schedule to local traffic or weather conditions.

“We’re researching how we can use patterns or preferences set by the driver to make life simpler,” said Mascarenas. “The car gets to know you and can act as a personal assistant to handle some of the usual routines of a daily commute.

“From recommending a great driving road from friends on your social networks or resetting your alarm clock to let you sleep in when a morning meeting gets cancelled.”

The same concepts are extended to adaptive vehicle technologies for driving.

Instead of drawing on a stored database or map of drivers and road conditions, the new concept foresees tuning handling and performance to the road ahead and the specific individual behind the wheel. Learning driver habits and capabilities, the technology can overlay map and weather data sourced from the cloud to adjust powertrain, steering, suspension and braking systems for optimum enjoyment, comfort and safety. It can go even further, selecting the optimum combination of the hybrid powertrain’s modes for any given journey.

But that’s not all: it also looks after the driver. With Ford researchers already having developed technologies focused on driver wellness, such as a heart-rate monitoring seat and allergy-free interiors, a connection to the cloud will supercharge the system’s ability to optimise the driving experience. It can even suggest a healthier route…