Ford Motor Company and Google have announced a strategic partnership to reinvent the connected vehicle experience for customers.
As part of the six-year partnership beginning in 2023, millions of future Ford and Lincoln vehicles at all price points will be powered by Android, with Google apps and services built-in, according to a statement.
Ford says it has also named Google Cloud its preferred cloud provider to leverage Google’s expertise in data, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML).
The companies have established a new collaborative group, Team Upshift, aimed at driving ongoing innovation in the vehicle manufacturing process.
Team Upshift will unlock personalised consumer experiences and drive disruptive, data-driven opportunities, according to the companies. This may include projects ranging from developing new retail experiences when buying a vehicle and creating new ownership offers based on data.
“As Ford continues the most profound transformation in our history with electrification, connectivity and self-driving, Google and Ford coming together establish an innovation powerhouse truly able to deliver a superior experience for our customers and modernise our business,” says Jim Farley, president and CEO of Ford.
Ford and Google say they have a shared vision to bring enjoyable, safer and more efficient connected vehicle experiences, built to minimise driver distraction and keep customers at the forefront of technology with over-the-air updates.
From 2023, Ford customers globally will start to benefit from digital experiences built on top of the Android operating system, with Google apps and services built-in, which include map and voice technology.
As its preferred cloud provider and starting later this year, Google will help Ford leverage Google Cloud’s AI, ML and data analytics technologies to accelerate the automaker’s digital transformation modernised operations, and power connected vehicle technologies with Google’s secure cloud.
“From the first moving assembly line, to the latest driver-assist technology, Ford has set the pace of innovation for the automotive industry for nearly 120 years,” says Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google and Alphabet.
“We’re proud to partner to apply the best of Google’s AI, data analytics, compute and cloud platforms to help transform Ford's business and build automotive technologies that keep people safe and connected on the road.”
Share