In order to address the issue of a potential future of crippling congestion, Ford Motor Company’s Executive Chairman Bill Ford outlined an inclusive vision in 2012 known as Ford’s Blueprint for Mobility. As with the company’s Blueprint for Sustainability, which set near, mid- and long-term goals for significant reductions in the company’s global environmental footprint, the Blueprint for Mobility defined the start of Ford’s thinking on what transportation will look like in 2025 and beyond, and the technologies, business models and partnerships needed to get there. Read more about Ford’s vision for mobility here. However, Ford’s multi-decade vision for mobility isn’t just about the future but has already started manifesting itself. With an aim to make mobility economically, environmentally as well as socially affordable for masses, Ford has undertaken some innovative programs that have worked quite well and in line with the near and long term objectives for Ford’s vision for mobility.
Ford’s Innovate Mobility Challenge Series
Kick-started in 2014, Ford’s Innovate Mobility Challenge Series invited ‘Developer’ and ‘Maker’ communities to come together and find innovative solutions to mobility issues being faced by people across the world. 8 specific challenges for as many global cities including 3 in India – Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai were announced to find solutions to mobility issues such as congestion, health care solutions, and improving mobility during monsoon season. For more details you can visit the official challenge webpage. Ford will announce the global winners of the Innovate Mobility Challenge Series 2014 at CES 2015 this week.
Sustainable Memory Project 2.0 (SMP 2.0)
This project brings together mobility related companies, government agencies and stakeholders from across the world through World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD). Ford is one of the supporting companies of SMP 2.0 and leading the project in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, which has been chosen as one of the 6 demonstrator cities globally. Mobility related solutions will be implemented and demonstrated in Indore, which will help improve the quality of life in the city. You can also visit the official project webpage for more information and updates.
SUMURR Project
Apart from these initiatives, Ford is also working with public and private organizations on a pilot program – SUMURR designed to bring the right health care to the women and children living in inaccessible part of rural India. Sustainable Urban Mobility with Uncompromised Rural Reach (SUMURR) has so far enabled childbirth for 75 pregnant women belonging to the high-risk mothers category, visited 54 villages and reached more than 11,303 people to facilitate community awareness programs focused on maternal and child healthcare. Click here to know more about SUMURR. In addition to these initiatives, Ford has always believed in using technology smartly to make life easier. It was the first automobile manufacturer to introduce Bluetooth in the Ford Figo and has most recently introduced the SYNC with Ford AppLink technology which allows consumers to safely interact with their smartphone devices while driving, simply through voice commands.
CES 2015
At Consumer Electronics Show 2015, Mark Fields, Ford Motor Company’s Global President and CEO will present a keynote on Ford’s commitment to innovations in development of mobility solutions and progress on the same. The keynote is scheduled for 6th Jan 10PM IST.
We have partnered with Ford to update our readers on latest developments in the program which plans to use technology to address future mobility related problems. We will bring you more updates as soon as they surface. You can follow these updates on our twitter (@gadgetstouse) or Facebook channel.
