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Mobility Solutions

Transportation is undergoing perhaps the greatest revolution in a century. Ford is itself expanding to become a leader in both automotive and mobility, helping to create a better, smarter world.

Companies everywhere talk a lot about mobility, connectivity and finding ways to make better use of data. At Ford, we have been working on this for a long time and we have entered into partnerships or acquisitions of companies such as Autonomic and TransLoc who are renowned in this space. We are also working very closely with cities to ensure that we’re providing mobility solutions that will benefit the city and improve the way its citizens move around it.

We are focusing on two core elements that underpin everything we’re doing – delivering a human-centric experience, and building on the foundation of trust the Ford brand already has.

You’ve heard us say we’re building smart vehicles for a smart world. Taking a human-centric approach to this means we aren’t just introducing technology for the sake of having the latest know-how. We’re focusing on the experiences we can create for our owners and users and how they need to move, and we’re creating and using technology to deliver those experiences.

To build trust, we are building on our reputation and focusing on privacy and security. Our owners and users need to know they can trust us with the data they choose to share with us; building that trust and ensuring we deliver on that promise underpins everything we are doing.

We are accelerating and expanding our activities to deliver a broad suite of mobility products and services, for individual car owners right through to entire cities. An increase in speed and scale will come through the establishment of four new, integrated teams:

  • Ford X: Offering quick incubation of potential products and services; and new mobility businesses early in their development

  • Mobility Business Group: Responsible for scaling the company’s existing mobility businesses

  • Mobility Platforms and Products: Leading design and development for the technology underpinning Ford’s mobility businesses

  • Mobility Marketing and Growth: Driving demand with individual consumers and with commercial and city customers, and ensuring the voice of the customer is heard throughout the organization

 Case Study

Bringing Mobility Solutions Closer

As part of the acceleration of our mobility solutions, we have acquired Autonomic, a technology company that specializes in scale, architecture and leverage for transportation solutions, and TransLoc, a provider of demand-response technology for city-owned microtransit solutions.

Our acquisition of Autonomic will hasten the establishment of our Transportation Mobility Cloud platform and support other key mobility initiatives. Autonomic will also help us create and incubate new mobility businesses and help us access top technology talent.

TransLoc will enable us to leverage the company’s operational expertise and network of city relationships, as well as its dynamic routing solutions that have helped cities and motorists globally.

In addition, in 2017 we founded Ford Commercial Solution. This new business arm will leverage vehicle connectivity to deliver data services and fleet optimization to the commercial sector.

We aim to create and incubate new mobility businesses, as well as dynamic routing solutions that help cities and motorists globally.

Transforming the Customer Experience

Through FordPass, we are focused on taking the consumer experience to the next level and transforming how consumers interact with Ford. Helping people travel in a smarter way, FordPass features include:

  • Live traffic delivering real-time service updates to help avoid congestion
  • In-app service booking
  • Ford credit account management
  • FordGuides to help with any FordPass questions
  • Find parking locations and prices with FordPass partner NCP

The new FordPass Connect, the embedded modem technology, will add additional features such as remote lock or unlock, vehicle location and automatic vehicle health alerts. The FordPass app is available to download for free now in both the Apple and Google app stores.

We have continued to add new and enhanced functionality to the FordPass app and services over the year. FordPass members can now find a parking spot more easily, with the added ability to make reservations as well as see parking garages.

 Case Study

Chariot Rides Into London to Help Commuters

Following its successful introduction in the United States, Ford’s commuter shuttle service Chariot has launched in London. Designed for city dwellers who may not have easily accessible public transport, Chariot helps them to complete the first and last miles of their journeys more easily by connecting them with underground stations and other transport hubs.

After a detailed analysis of urban areas, four London routes have been identified to connect commuters in densely populated and rapidly growing areas to existing transport networks. A fleet of 14 fuel-efficient minibuses will operate up to six shuttles per hour at peak times, offering Wi-Fi, air conditioning and overhead storage. Commuters can use a smartphone app to track progress, search for local routes and locate the nearest convenient pickup point before booking a seat.

Chariot is also exploring enterprise and charter services in London, and all drivers will be trained in supporting passengers with special needs.

As well as launching Chariot, Ford is trialing a 20-strong fleet of plug-in hybrid Transit Custom vans throughout 2018, as part of the “Cleaner Air for London” initiative run by the city’s transport authority, Transport for London.

“Cities globally are dealing with increased congestion and environmental issues. Ford is helping to alleviate these challenges by developing mobility solutions – such as Chariot – that are finely tuned to the unique challenges of commuters in different locations, addressing gaps in transport systems and completing their travel with first- and last-mile additions.”

Marcy Klevorn

Marcy Klevorn,President, Ford Mobility

 Case Study

GoRide Means No More Missed Appointments

In 2017, Ford launched GoRide, a non-emergency medical transportation service to get patients safely to and from medical appointments on time.

GoRide sets new standards, offering a bedside-to-bedside service from professionally trained drivers, an on-demand wheelchair service and fully kitted-out transportation vehicles. As well as guaranteeing on-time arrivals and departures, GoRide also enables users to get to appointments they might otherwise not be able to get to because of a lack of their own transport, mobility challenges or even due to adverse weather conditions.

GoRide currently covers more than 200 health care facilities in the Beaumont Health Network, Southeast Michigan. Health care facilities can easily schedule and book transportations for their patients.

As well as helping patients, the system could also benefit the health care facilities. Missed appointments and scheduling issues cost the health care industry an estimated $150 billion a year. Non-emergency medical transportation systems like Ford’s GoRide can help address this by getting patients to appointments on time and home faster after discharges, reducing readmission rates and the need for emergency services, and preventing missed medical appointments. And, with an aging population, there is a growing need for services like GoRide.

“By merging our expertise in vehicles, technology and human-centered design, we’ve created a high-touch, patient-focused service that truly understands and is tailored to patients and their needs. Our service is focused on multiple social determinants of health, and delivers the quality of care and on-time certainty that medical facilities need in order to increase throughput and reduce wait times.”

Marion Harris

Marion Harris,Vice President, Ford Mobility Business Group

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