Consumers embracing new technologies for getting around: Ford survey

Today, the transportation landscape of the past is colliding with radical technology innovations that may once again reshape how the world moves.

A recent survey conducted across Asia Pacific on behalf of American automotive giant Ford Motor Company found that consumers are driving these changes as technology gives them new and easier ways to plan their journeys, whether using private or public transportation – or a combination of both.

“Smartphones are rapidly assimilating into our lives on the road, and Ford Smart Mobility is all about finding innovative ways to improve people’s lives by delivering smarter, more convenient access to mobility options,” said John Larsen, director, Ford Smart Mobility, Ford Asia Pacific.

Ford Smart Mobility is the company’s plan to be a leader in connectivity, mobility, autonomous vehicles, the customer experience, and data and analytics.

Ford is undertaking research and development across the technology and transportation landscape, including in-car connectivity, flexible ownership models and car-sharing programmes, autonomous vehicles, and much more.

“Mobility challenges are local in nature, and although no two places have the same suite of issues and opportunities, technology solutions can come from anywhere in the world,” said Larsen. “We’re looking at different transportation environments and trying different things, which might mean experimenting with a new car-sharing model, or developing a mobile platform where people can consider different transportation options and make the decision that’s best for them at any given time. It’s all about exploring every option.”

Regionally, one in four respondents to the survey said they use a ride-hailing app more than once a week to get around.

Across the region, use of these apps is on the rise, with 32 per cent of respondents reporting increased use over a year earlier. India (42 per cent) and China (33 per cent) were the main drivers of the upward trend, with New Zealand (7 per cent), Taiwan (9 per cent) and Australia (12 per cent) reporting the lowest increase in use.

Car-sharing programmes are also becoming more popular, with one in five respondents in the region saying their participation in shared-car platforms had increased from a year earlier.

The Vietnamese transportation landscape is dominated by private cars and electric scooters or motorbikes, according to the survey results.

Fifty-four per cent of respondents said they travel by private car regularly – meaning more than once a week – and 50 per cent said they regularly get around on an electric scooter or motorbike.

Vietnamese respondents also indicated that multi-modal transportation is very common in the country. More than half of respondents say they use more than one form of transportation on a single journey every day or more than twice a week. Only 5 percent said they never use multi-modal transportation.

Ford Smart Mobility encompasses innovations that are already available in Ford vehicles around the world – including Ford’s in-car connectivity system, SYNC, and semi-autonomous features such as Adaptive Cruise Control – as well as long-term research projects like Ford’s fully autonomous vehicle programme.

By the end of this year, Ford will have the largest fleet of autonomous vehicles of any auto manufacturer, with 30 self-driving vehicles being tested across different climates in the United States.

Ford also recently announced FordPass, a platform that reimagines the relationship between automaker and consumer.

FordPass is designed to give users access to mobility services through the FordPass Marketplace, pay for such services with FordPay, interact with personal mobility assistants night or day with FordGuides, and accrue membership rewards.

The FordPass platform also includes FordHubs, storefronts where consumers can learn about Ford’s latest mobility innovations.

“Whether it’s making calls on the move, looking up real-time traffic information or booking a car on an app, technology is rapidly changing how we get around,” said Larsen. “At Ford, we’re looking into ways to integrate these innovations into our products, in order to make mobility more convenient and accessible for everyone.”