Ford’s bold vision for the future of personal mobility is on display at CES Asia in Shanghai, with Ford Smart Mobility experiments, the latest in in-car connectivity technologies and the introduction of MyEnergi Lifestyle to China demonstrating Ford’s commitment to leveraging technologies to reshape how the world moves.
Ford is also announcing at CES Asia that it will open GoDrive to the public, a London-based car-sharing mobility experiment that will invite 2,000 members of the public to enjoy flexible, practical and affordable access to a fleet of 50 cars at 20 convenient locations throughout the city.
The Ford stand at CES Asia will feature displays of two Ford Smart Mobility experiments, the latest generation of its in-car connectivity solution, SYNC 3, the recently launched new Ford Focus, a MyEnergi Lifestyle showcase, the new Ford GT supercar and much more.
“Ford has been introducing groundbreaking innovations for over a hundred years, and at the core of that has always been a desire to improve the lives of millions of people all over the world,” said John Lawler, chairman and CEO, Ford China. “All the aspects of Ford Smart Mobility on display here today at CES Asia are just the latest in a long history of improving the driver experience and delivering personal mobility for the masses.”
Ford Smart Mobility is designed to anticipate the trends of tomorrow’s transportation ecosystem. The first phase of Ford Smart Mobility is a series of experiments that address four global megatrends – rapid population growth, expanding middle class, air quality and public health concerns, and changing customer attitudes and priorities – and seeks to tackle some of the challenges limiting personal mobility.
“What we’re doing with Ford Smart Mobility is really getting hands-on with the exciting tech that will redefine the customer experience and power our new era of transportation,” said Jim Buczkowski, director, Electrical and Electronics Systems, Research and Advanced Engineering, Ford Motor Company. “With the GoDrive London experiment, for example, we’re opening the program to the public, which will help us learn more about consumer needs and deliver the more efficient car-sharing system that drivers need and want.”
Car sharing, driven by consumer insight
Ford will initiate GoDrive, the second phase of its City Driving On-Demand mobility experiment – an exploration into car-sharing solutions which was announced earlier this year as part of Ford Smart Mobility – and invite 2,000 members of the public to experience the car-sharing service. The consumer-facing service will offer members access to 50 Ford vehicles available at 20 convenient locations around London.
Initial findings from the first phase of the experiment indicate that participants in car-sharing schemes consider one-way journeys, easy parking and simple pricing crucial components of a successful car-sharing program.
“We’re thrilled by the initial feedback from the GoDrive experiment, and are excited to work with even more drivers to learn how to best address their car-sharing needs,” said Buczkowski. “In today’s crowded cities, individual car ownership isn’t always the most affordable or convenient way to get around, and we’re experimenting in the U.S., Europe and Asia Pacific in order to optimize how car-sharing can increase mobility all over the world.”
In Bangalore, India, Ford is running a mobility experiment in conjunction with ZoomCar to explore car sharing in a closed community, with the goal of creating a model for easy vehicle sharing for groups like colleagues, apartment dwellers and families. This could help consumers who can’t afford a car – or don’t need one full time – experience the benefits of car ownership.
Currently, the Bangalore Car-Share experiment is running in three Ford EcoSports that have been equipped for data collection. The data collected throughout the ongoing project will be used to analyze trip information and user behavior to develop a model for vehicle scheduling and ownership management.
