Ford And Google Partner To ‘Reinvent’ Car Design, Connectivity And Ownership

Google and Ford are teaming up to rework the car experience, from the way vehicles are engineered to the way customers shop for and then drive their vehicles.

This alliance means it will “reinvent” virtually every aspect of the car business. This will impact on the vehicles design, how they are engineered and assembled. It will also affect how customers shop and then experience their vehicles.

Among other things, motorists will be able to download features they might not originally have purchased. They can also download new safety and infotainment technology that wasn’t originally available. Ford and Google officials said during a Monday morning news conference.

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“As Ford continues the most profound transformation in our history with electrification, connectivity and self-driving, Google and Ford coming together establishes an innovation powerhouse truly able to deliver a superior experience for our customers and modernize our business,” said Jim Farley, president and CEO of Ford.

Virtually every aspect of the auto business has been touched by technology in recent decades. This alliance will rely on Google’s Android operating system and its cloud-based computing network. It is meant to take things a big step forward.

The two new allies expect to make significant changes to the way Ford designs. It is also intended to affect its engineering and very assembly. This will improve the operation of both the parts supply chain as well as the automaker’s distribution network.

Ford and Google aim to develop a more flexible and personalized shopping experience. The experience is intended to take advantage of the surge in online car buying. The Android-based operating system, meanwhile, will be able to monitor a vehicle once it’s out on the road. It will warn owners if there’s a mechanical problem developing. It will also advise them if it’s time for service, even automatically setting up a dealer appointment.

By using smartphone-style over-the-air, or OTA, updates, meanwhile, Ford expects to be able to tweak a vehicle’s software, in many case fixing problems on the fly without requiring an owner to bring the car in for a recall.

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Ford’s latest version of its in-car infotainment system, Sync 4, already has limited OTA capabilities. The automaker plans to use that to allow owners of the newly updated F-150 pickup and Mustang Mach-E battery-electric vehicle to download the hands-free Active Drive Assist system once it is completed later this year. Ford and Google

Going forward, Ford will be able to use the wireless system to offer other features to customers, including new smart safety technology as well as streaming entertainment content.

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