Ford is rising to the challenge of urban and rural transportaton in Africa with a series of new Smart Mobility initiatives.

The programs include the Ford X-Car Social Innovation Action Partnership Program to connect under-served South African communities to critical healthcare services. Ford is also partnering with Riders for Africa to improve healthcare access in rural and remote areas using OpenXC data technology. 

Urban mobility takes focus at the EcoMobility World Festival and Exhibition, in Johannesburg. During the October 2015 meeting, the city is establishing a car-free, bicycle-friendly zone around the city center, giving Ford teams an opportunity to extend ongoing experiments in multi-modal transportation, such as the MoDe:Pro eBike.

“Our goal is to make people’s lives better by changing the way the world moves,” said Erica Klampfl, Global Mobility Solutions manager, Ford Research and Advanced Engineering. “Such ongoing research projects help us to find out what works and to develop smarter, more connected mobility solutions.”