The Expansion of Ford From Auto Maker to Transportation Innovator

Ford is driving growth and value creation through their innovative Ford+ plan, offering must-have vehicles such as electric and autonomous models, plus mobility services.

Ford continued his support of himself through operating and servicing portable steam engines as well as selling timber harvested from 40 acres on his farm. Additionally, he worked nights as an engineer at Edison.

The Future of Mobility

Transportation landscape is experiencing dramatic transformation, led by the rapid increase in electric vehicle ownership. Automakers are expanding their product lines with hybrid and autonomous vehicle technologies while transitioning toward mobility as a service business models. Ford is making greater investments than ever to help its customers take advantage of opportunities provided by these changes.

Ford is strengthening its leadership position in electric mobility by rapidly developing and mass producing breakthrough electric vehicles. By expanding its global automotive business to encompass two distinct, yet interdependent entities – Ford Blue and Ford Model e – the company can accelerate development while outstripping competitors both old and new EV.

Ford is reinventing how it designs, builds, markets and finances cars, trucks, SUVs and electrified vehicles to better meet customers’ evolving transportation needs as the global landscape shifts towards alternative modes. Ford is capitalizing on its strengths as a global manufacturer of complex products; proven record of delivering innovative solutions at scale; as well as customer trust tied to the Ford brand to increase its share of global automotive operating margin.

Ford plans to triple its engineering investment in driver assist and semi-autonomous vehicle technology by 2022 – one of the largest investments ever by any automaker in this space. They will also triple their testing fleet of autonomous vehicles while expanding facilities in California, Germany, and the US.

Ford is taking steps to prepare itself for the future of mobility by restructuring its Research & Innovation organization. Consolidating Bay Area operations into one Research & Innovation Center Palo Alto will allow it to maintain key Silicon Valley technology company and university relationships as well as expanding its presence scouting new technologies and creating solutions for future mobility challenges.

The company is developing an innovation ecosystem with partners to deliver vehicles that customers desire and need, including smart glasses acting as personal assistants and self-healing roads. Furthermore, through an expanded partnership with FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science & Technology Education for Kids around the World) it supports future changemakers through STEM education and career pathways worldwide.

Autonomous Vehicles

Autonomous vehicles are revolutionizing how we move. Their precise, efficient, and safe driving is far superior to that of humans because of their faster reactions and greater awareness of their environment. Equipped with radar sensors for scanning environments like road signs, tracking other cars and pedestrians as well as sensing lane markings position as well as objects like trees or curbs they use sophisticated software to plot routes according to traffic rules and avoid obstacles – communicating with other vehicles or infrastructure such as roadside sensors to anticipate any hazards in advance.

Ford is taking advantage of this shift by rapidly developing and releasing innovative electric and digitally connected vehicles and services. Ford Model e is an independent business unit created to unleash world-class software, electrical, and automotive talent to produce remarkable EVs for new customers worldwide. Ford Pro serves businesses and government customers by offering them access to an array of electric vehicle mobility solutions.

Ford is making strategic investments that will secure its future success, such as reallocating $7 billion from traditional internal combustion vehicle manufacturing to SUVs and trucks like Ranger, EcoSport and Bronco in North America and globally, freeing up funding to invest in electrification technologies such as autonomous vehicles – including an additional $10 billion commitment towards this program.

Ford is also increasing its investment in Solid Power, an all-solid state battery manufacturer for electric vehicles, to accelerate its transition towards zero emission plug-in hybrid and all-electric vehicles by 2025. This partnership with this industry leader allows Ford to advance this goal.

Ford Smart Mobility’s plan includes an expansive set of mobility experiments designed to gain insights into consumer transportation trends and behaviors, such as GoPark’s predictive parking systems which direct drivers towards streets where they’re likely to find spaces; Dynamic Shuttle’s point-to-point ride hailing service; and its first production test of an all-electric Transit Custom designed specifically for urban microtransit routes in San Francisco.

Connectivity

Ford is evolving into an innovative transportation provider by expanding beyond vehicle production into connectivity and mobility services. They plan to develop in-car software and human machine interface designs, as well as new business ideas to connect vehicles, devices, city infrastructure and energy systems. Future cars will have the capability of communicating with every aspect of your home or office, such as energy requirements. This may allow your commute to better align with home energy usage. Your new system could also integrate seamlessly with the navigation system of your vehicle to prevent you from being stranded or overtaxing its battery, as well as provide easier and cheaper upgrades thanks to modular system designs that can be swapped out for improved technology in the future.

Ford has recently focused on reinventing its trucks by increasing off-road capability and increasing fuel efficiency, while developing an expanded lineup of electric vehicles and making them available globally. Consumer demand drove this expansion as well as meeting an ever-increasing need for efficient yet cost-effective transport solutions.

Ford Smart Mobility LLC was formed to design, build and expand emerging mobility services. Led by former Steelcase vice chairman and CEO Jim Hackett, its goal is to develop innovative customer-centric capabilities which serve multiple markets based on different technologies.

Ford plans on employing its global employees and investing in its facilities and supply chain to meet its ambitious goals. One such investment will include creating a Manufacturing Innovation Center at Flat Rock Assembly Plant for producing electric and autonomous vehicles; the chosen site was chosen because of its centrality, access to skilled labor, and availability of renewable energy resources.

Ford will work closely with suppliers to establish a domestic supply chain for battery production that will be ready when production ramps up for its vehicles, as well as training auto technicians to support new technology.

Mobility Services

Ford envisions the future of transportation as one centered around providing services rather than selling vehicles alone, rather than only through retail sales. To test its new business model, the company has conducted various mobility experiments which have mostly gone according to plan, such as Chariot shuttle service in San Francisco or GoDrive car-sharing pilot in London (both have encountered obstacles from city authorities).

Ford stands by its Transportation Mobility Cloud plan despite recent setbacks and considers it key to its larger smart mobility strategy. The global platform will link vehicles, objects and cities. It forms the backbone of their Transportation-as-a-Service plan.

Ford has already started building its cloud through various technological partnerships and acquisitions, such as their partnership with Domino’s for pizza delivery via self-driving cars in August 2017; then announced a micromobility pilot with Postmates at CES on January 9; then quickly acquired two start-up companies – TransLoc and Autonomic 16 days later.

These start-ups are developing apps and infrastructure that will connect vehicles, objects and city infrastructure in ways that make life more convenient for drivers, monitor traffic more effectively and provide services to residents more effectively. In addition to making vehicles more useful, such technologies will also allow cities to better monitor and manage traffic, monitor residents’ needs more closely and deliver services more efficiently.

Longer-term, these technologies will make cities more livable for all residents — seniors, commuters and visitors. They’ll reduce congestion and pollution while opening up opportunities for economic development. Ford hopes these technologies make moving around their communities simpler for residents — whether driving, walking, bicycling or using transit.

Ford continues its efforts in smart mobility while investing in traditional areas, such as designing, manufacturing and financing cars, SUVs, trucks and commercial vehicles. Furthermore, they’ve established Ford Smart Mobility as a subsidiary to compete against start-ups and invest in mobility-related ventures – one way CEO Mark Fields hopes his company can lead the new mobility market.