Ford Touts Transportation Sharing Scheme
CEO Jim Hackett says Ford Motor Co. is positioning itself for a future in which the company participates in a variety of alternatives to the privately owned car.
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CEO Jim Hackett says Ford Motor Co. is positioning itself for a future in which the company participates in a variety of alternatives to the privately owned car.
“It’s time to bring the streets into the sharing economy,” he tells attendees at the CES electronic show in Las Vegas.
Ford is backing the creation of a single, open platform “transportation mobility cloud” of data and technology that can be used to connect people and goods with multiple transportation options. Marcy Klevorn, Ford’s head of mobility, describes the platform as a tool for “transit choreography.”
Ford used CES to invite software developers, cities and other carmakers to join the project. Ford is working with Autonomic, a Silicon Valley startup, to create the platform. The company says it has selected an undisclosed city in which to test the concept.
Hackett foresees a lengthy transition period in which self-driving vehicles will supplement those piloted by human drivers, helping to reduce pollution and congestion while providing transportation to underserved populations.
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