Ford has announced that it is considering using Google's Prediction API to develop smarter vehicles that can attune to a driver's on-road habits.

At the recent Google I/O conference, Ford revealed that it was looking at implementation strategies for the Prediction API, which is a piece of software with broad applications. Google uses the algorithms to "predict" things like which pieces of e-mail are spam and what a user's online shopping tendencies may be. However, Ford is looking to take things in a different direction.

By gathering data about how a user drives and the routes they normally take, the automaker is looking at ways to improve efficiency in vehicles, especially upcoming hybrids and electric cars. The theory is that the prediction software will be able to recognize things like a driver starting up the car on weekday mornings for their morning commute. The vehicle would then be able to use the data from previous commutes to map out the best route, tune the engine for best performance and utilize less energy from electric systems if applicable.

The driver would be able to confirm with the system before the changes were made, and most won't even be noticed. Ford stressed that it's not about changing a driver's habits, but adapting to them.

While new technology is always a cool reason to buy a car, changes like this aren't planned for years at least. In the meantime, drivers may want to consider buying a used Ford from New Jersey State Auto Auction to save money.