At the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2016 in Las Vegas last week, Ford spoke about expanding past just being an automaker into being a full-throttle mobility company as well.
Well, on Monday, Ford took a giant step in that direction, introducing its FordPass platform, extending the relationship between the automaker and its consumers.
Aiming to do for car owners what iTunes did for music fans, FordPass members will be able to talk to personal mobility assistants — FordGuides — during days or nights, and seek help in everything from getting around to booking advanced parking via a partnership with ParkWhiz to virtually building their vehicles and receiving rewards for FordPass membership loyalty.
"Ford always has been motivated to make people's lives better," Ford president and CEO, Mark Fields, said in a company press release. "We did it when we put the world on wheels a century ago and we do it now through our strong lineup of cars, SUVs, trucks and electrified vehicles. Today, we take our commitment one step further with the introduction of FordPass — an all-new platform that may be our most revolutionary yet."
What's best is the FordPass membership will be available for free to Ford vehicle owners and non-owners, when the platform officially launches in April.
"As we've studied the mobility challenges people face, we designed FordPass to help provide services that make consumers' lives easier," Fields added. "FordPass is really about listening to people's needs and developing ways to help them move better."
Overall, it will focus on four areas to improve the automaker's smart mobility: the Marketplace, including mobility services such as parking and remote access, Appreciation, recognizing members for their loyalty to the brand via rewards, FordGuides, making customers' questions with issues easier to answer, and FordHubs, physical locations that consumers can experience the company's latest innovations.
To the latter end, Ford will open its storefronts later this year, beginning at the Westfield World Trade Center in New York City, followed by FordHubs in San Francisco, London and Shanghai.
