Ford to Open NYC Mobility Exhibit

Ford Motor Co. this week is opening a demonstration center in New York City to highlight its new mobility services.

Dubbed FordHub, the 2,900-sq-ft exhibit at the Westfield World Trade Center is designed to be an interactive experience for consumers to learn about and experiment with future transportation alternatives. The exhibit will be staffed by Ford mobility experts rather than sales personnel. People interested in buying a Ford vehicle will be directed to local dealerships.

To help drive people to the center and promote Ford’s growing number of mobility services, the carmaker will air a commercial just prior to the start of Sunday’s Super Bowl. The humorous 90-second ad features people encountering “stuck in life” circumstances, then shows potential solutions—including self-driving cars and ride-sharing services–to help them move again.

Ford also is launching a “Mobilize New York Challenge” to stimulate new ideas to help New Yorkers get around faster and easier. As much as $30,000 in prizes are available to people who submit winning proposals.

Visitors to FordHub can track real-time traffic in New York to see how people use trains, ferries and other modes of transportation. They also can learn about programs in cities around the world that are implementing autonomous and electric vehicles, ride-sharing, ride-hailing and connected vehicles.

Other features of FordHub include a virtual reality headset that allows users to simulate building a Mustang on top of the Empire State Building. The also can experience the Last Mile Challenge competition, a virtual race that encourages players to use a variety of transportation systems, from e-bikes to autonomous cars, to best reach their destination.