111 years ago, Henry Ford first changed the transportation game with the mass production of the Model T. Today, as a result of increased urbanization, rapid population growth and environmental concerns, personal transportation is at another major turning point. And once again, Ford is ready to respond.
Announced in early 2015, the Ford Smart Mobility Plan is a global initiative to use innovations in connectivity, mobility, autonomous vehicles, customer experience and big data to drive solutions for some of the world’s most complex transportation issues. This includes 25 mobility experiments worldwide that are designed to literally change the way the world moves.
If you’ve been in any major city lately, you’ve probably noticed that people are using more transportation options than ever. But with cars, bikes, buses and pedestrians contending for space on the roads, getting around is becoming an increasingly challenging task. Ford’s 25 experiments – eight in North America, nine in Europe and Africa, seven in Asia, and one in South America – reflect the company’s commitment to both consumers and a better world. The experiments are designed to anticipate consumer priorities and expectations, and develop solutions that shape the future of cars and transportation as a whole.
Understanding that overcoming mobility issues in a globalized world will require collaboration between companies, countries and people, Ford also kicked-off the Mobility Challenge Series, inviting developers from around the world to come up with innovative technology solutions to 11 global transportation issues. The winning ideas are now being implemented worldwide, and the open-innovation approach will continue into 2015 with more challenges.
Not only will the insights gained through these experiments support Ford in paving the road ahead for a new ownership experience, they will help spark new ideas for affordable and accessible solutions to some of the world’s biggest issues relating to transportation.Check out a few of the innovative experiments Ford’s Smart Mobility Plan is undertaking worldwide:
The Info Cycle project challenges Ford engineers to develop sensor kits for bicycles that collect usage information to improve urban transportation:
City Driving On-Demand positions a network of Ford vehicles around London, UK to create a more efficient spin on the car share concept:
Big Data Drive engages more than 200 Ford employees to collect data from in-vehicle sensors, so Ford can study driving habits to optimize future vehicle performance:
City Mobility Challenge winner, Smartaxi, is an app that helps cabs save time and fuel by crowdsourcing location info from taxi drivers and passengers:
L.A. Parking Lot 2.0Mobility Challenge winner, Crowd Park, is an app that literally puts parking enforcement in the public’s hands to save infrastructure costs.