The plan is rather simple as it involves Ford’s own employees taking charge of the ride sharing initiative for their day to day commute, and this could potentially serve as an excellent model to reduce the total number of vehicles on the road throughout major cities of the US.
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Able to charge itself to 80 per cent capacity in just half an hour, the proposed new Focus will also have an estimated range of around 100 miles, while the current version can manage up to 76.
News of the investment comes following an announcement by Ford in which the carmaker said that it will be expanding its electrified vehicles research and development program in Europe and Asia this year.
The result of that will be the addition of 13 new electrified vehicles to its product portfolio by 2020, and Ford says that more than 40% of its nameplates globally will be electrified by the decade’s end.
“The challenge going forward isn’t who provides the most technology in a vehicle but who best organizes that technology in a way that most excites and delights people”, said Raj Nair, executive vice president of product development. By observing consumers, we can better understand which features and strengths users truly use and value and create even better experiences for them.
The team of social scientists already has spent months exploring topics such as the future of luxury transport, how people form relationships with their cars and the role of trucks in the American heartland.
The automaker will be focusing more on customer experience-led process in designing their vehicles instead of focusing on the vehicle itself.
The investment in electric vehicles will include hybrid cars that still have a traditional engine, but also pure battery-powered vehicles.
Meanwhile, with regard to Ford’s electrified vehicle plans, Kevin Layden – director of the company’s electrification programmes – said batteries are the “life force” of any electric vehicle; and said that Ford will continue to focus on research and development in battery technology.
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The company said it will concentrate work on its virtual battery testing system called Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL).
