Ford and Google have partnered to accelerate Ford’s transformation and reinvent the connected vehicle experience in a six-year deal beginning in 2013.
The deal will see millions of future Ford and Lincoln vehicles powered by Android, with Google apps and services built-in. Ford and Google are establishing a new JV dubbed Team Upshift to transform Ford car technology and develop new retail experiences based on data, and more.
“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.
“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,” said 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.”
Ford will also use Google Cloud as its preferred cloud provider to leverage Google’s world-class expertise in data, artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning (ML).
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, modernize operations, and power connected vehicle technologies with Google’s trusted, secure, and reliable cloud.
With Google Cloud, Ford plans to further improve customer experiences using differentiated technology and personalized services. Accelerate modernization of product development, manufacturing and supply chain management, including exploration of using vision AI for manufacturing employee training and plant equipment performance and fast track data-driven business models resulting in customers receiving real-time notices such as maintenance requests or trade-in alerts.
Ford and Google want to bring safer and more efficient connected vehicle experiences built to minimize driver distraction and keep customers at the forefront of technology with over-the-air updates.
Beginning in 2023, Ford and Lincoln customers globally will be able to drive cars powered by the Android operating system and with Google apps and services built-in such as Google Maps and Google Assistant.
