How Entrepreneurs Can Help Ford Create Its Next Gen Cars

TL;DR

Ford is opening a Silicon Valley office to enhance vehicle development, ownership experience, and explore innovative partnerships and technologies.

Transcript

ford is opening a silicon valley office what was that conversation like that brought this to fruition well we we felt the time was right this is an opportunity to really accelerate the work that we're doing and almost to develop so you want to put it on and if you think about the traditional vehicle development time as fast as we are we still measu... Read More

Key Insights

• 🧑‍💼 Ford's Silicon Valley office aims to accelerate vehicle development and ownership experience.
• 👻 Treating vehicles as platforms allows continuous software updates and adding new features and services.
• 🚙 Partnerships with Microsoft, Sony, Apple, and Google will enhance vehicle functionality and predictive driving.
• 😀 Ford seeks app ideas from entrepreneurs to enhance the user experience in their vehicles.
• 👻 Ford's presence in Silicon Valley allows them to tap into the talent pool and unique opportunities for future mobility.
• 😃 The key areas of focus for Ford in their lab include connectivity, big data utilization, open innovation, and exploring future mobility concepts.
• 💄 Being in Silicon Valley makes it easier for developers to connect with Ford compared to their headquarters in Michigan.

Questions & Answers

Q: Why is Ford opening a Silicon Valley office?

Ford believes it is the right time to accelerate their work in vehicle development and ownership experience, which traditionally takes years compared to the rapid advancements in consumer devices.

Q: How does Ford plan to enhance their vehicles' functionality over time?

Ford plans to treat their vehicles as platforms, allowing software upgrades over the lifetime ownership period to add new features and services. This is exemplified with their Michael touch system that enables software updates via USB.

Q: Who is Ford looking to partner with in Silicon Valley?

Ford is looking to partner with companies like Microsoft, Sony, Apple, and Google. Their partnerships focus on areas such as device compatibility, user interface, predictive driving, and enhancing the driving experience through apps and contextual information.

Q: What kind of innovative ideas is Ford seeking from entrepreneurs?

Ford is interested in innovative ideas that align with their brand, particularly in the areas of apps that can be integrated into their vehicle interface through Sync APIs. They seek ideas related to music, information services, and contextual information for a better user experience.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Ford is opening a Silicon Valley office to accelerate their work in vehicle development and ownership experience.

• They aim to bridge the gap between traditional vehicle development time and the rapid advancement of technology in consumer devices.

• Ford plans to partner with companies like Microsoft, Sony, Apple, and Google to enhance their vehicles with software upgrades, device compatibility, and predictive driving features.