Ford Motor Co would acquire San
Francisco based shuttle service Chariot with plans to expand the service
globally, as the carmaker expands beyond auto manufacturing and takes another
step toward becoming a mobility company.
The Detroit automaker Chariot plans
to expand internationally, moving into five more markets in the next 18 months.
Ford would set up a ‘city solutions’ team to work with cities worldwide on transportation
and is trying to diversify into other modes of transportation from vehicles
sold to consumers as new competitors from Alphabet’s Google to Uber are shaking
up the traditional automotive industry.
The bet on mobility in congested,
urban zones helps protect traditional carmakers as the advent of autonomous
vehicles and the growing popularity of ride services like Uber and Lyft
threaten car ownership. The company would launch its “Ford GoBike” bike sharing
program next year in partnership with the company Motivate, helping to add new
stations and up to 7000 bikes throughout San Francisco Bay Area by the end of
2018.
Motivate currently operates the
existing urban bike system called Bay Area Bike Share, launched in 2013.
Chariot operates 100 Ford Transit shuttles in the San Francisco Bay Area along
28 routes. The on-demand shuttles will use data to map out the best routes to
serve the public needs. Ford has already begun small, pilot shuttle programs in
Kansas City, Missouri, and Dearborn, Michigan. Other carmakers experimenting
with mobility services include General Motors, Fiat Chrysler, Volkswagen and
BMW.
