Some Fords to Have Hands-Free Phones

Ford Motor Co. said it will begin offering a hands-free, voice-activated system in some vehicles this year to enable drivers to use cellular phones more safely.

Cellport Systems Inc. will supply the system, the Cellport 3000 with Voice Command, under a $48-million contract, said Ralph Poplansky, Cellport’s vice president of product development.

New York last month became the first state to ban the use of cell phones by drivers unless they use headsets or hands-free devices such as Cellport’s. The Cellport 3000 first will be sold as a dealer-installed option on Taurus sedans and Windstar minivans and will be offered in most Ford vehicles by mid-2002, Ford spokeswoman Della DiPietro said.

Cellport, based in Boulder, Colo., also plans to sell the system through wireless-phone distributors in the U.S. at a suggested price of $399.

Ford shares fell 60 cents to $25 on the NYSE.