Ford is committed to smart automotive technology
Being a car manufacturer comes with its challenges. The imperative to sustain profitability is often perceived as something achieved at the expense of social and environmental responsibility. But these objectives need not be in opposition, and companies can demonstrate innovation and yield profitability through a meaningful contribution to society, rather than in spite of it, said Jeff Nemeth, president/CEO, Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa, in this report.
What was the last ‘Future of Mobility’ event in Dubai all about?
Recently, the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry hosted the “Future of Mobility” conference in honour of Ford Motor Company executive chairman Bill Ford.
In a deeply delivered insight address on the future of mobility, Bill Ford illuminated his long-term vision, not only for smart cars, but smart cities and smart infrastructure as well. I was so inspired that I felt compelled to reflect on these powerful words.
Launch of the iconic Ford Mustang
It is an exciting time for us at Ford as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Mustang – the world’s most iconic car. When it first launched, Mustang captured the passion, optimism and youthful energy of its time. It continues to do so today and Dubai, one of the most vibrant places on earth, is in a similar phase as one of the world’s newest cities.
At a TED Conference in 2011, Bill Ford delivered a clear, perhaps surprising, message: “We just can’t keep making and selling automobiles the way we always have. The current industry model simply will not work everywhere in the future.”
What happens when the number of vehicles doubles, triples or even quadruples?
Our industry has made some of its greatest achievements when faced with a serious challenge. This needs to be one of those moments. The auto industry has often been cited as a major and unrepentant polluter. But our industry is loaded with talent and has a global footprint: we have the scale to make a difference. We have to rise to the occasion, rather than shrink in the face of it.
Impact of emerging technologies on vehicles
With new technology, we are improving fuel economy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions from our products. Clean transportation in this lifetime is a real possibility.
We are developing alternative power-trains that will make cars affordable in every sense of the word both economically, socially and environmentally. That is great progress, but that is not all we have to do.
Today there are almost seven billion people in the world. Within our lifetime, that number will grow to about nine billion. We also expect we will be living more closely together. Some reports predict that by 2025 more than half the world’s population will live in megacities of 10 million residents or more.
Population growth alongside vehicle availability
When we look at population growth in terms of vehicles, the problem becomes even more pronounced. Today, there are about 1 billion vehicles on the road worldwide. But with more people and greater global prosperity, that number is expected to double, and possibly double again, by 2050.
What impact will this have on the environment
This will create “global gridlock” on a scale the world has never seen before. Even while cars are getting cleaner, a traffic jam with no emissions is still a traffic jam.
In South Africa, traffic congestion is on the rise. According to the latest Traffic Index study by multinational car navigation company Tom Tom, on average and across all major cities, peak traffic increases travel time by 21 percent.
The highest congestion is experienced in Cape Town, with 27 percent congestion while Johannesburg experiences 25 percent congestion and East London 22 percent.
Yet, traffic jams are just a symptom. While they are inconvenient, the bigger issue is how global gridlock will stifle economic growth. It will limit our ability to conduct commerce and to keep economies moving.
The answer is not more roads. As with “smartphones” the term “smart car” is becoming a catchphrase. Cars and trucks today are being built with increasingly more powerful microprocessors. You see the technology when you get behind the wheel of a new vehicle.
Weight of new technologies on automobiles
We are equipping cars and trucks with new technologies that improve the driving experience, guide you to your destination, manage the car’s functions and keep you and your passengers entertained.
Along with smart cars, we also need to build smart roads, smart parking, smart public transportation systems and more. In addition, we need to connect them all using wireless telecommunications. When you link the vehicle to the world around it, you begin to attack global gridlock.
Solution to traffic gridlocks on the roads
To keep traffic moving, we need an integrated transportation network that uses real time data to optimise personal mobility on a massive scale.
Some work in this area is already happening. Masdar City (in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates), for instance, uses driverless electric cars that communicate with one another and travel beneath the city streets with a series of pedestrian walkways up above.
Imagine what is possible when our cars begin talking to each other and the roadways and networks around them. The systems that we use today to bring entertainment into the vehicle that helps us with directions are the same systems that will help us create a smart vehicle network.
What if there is a pothole in the road ahead? Your car could be warned and you could steer clear, eliminating the potential for damage. At the same time, the information is passed to road maintenance officials and a repair crew is dispatched. Delays are avoided and problems are fixed in less time.
What is of paramount importance in this Ford programme
One of the priorities in our Blueprint for Mobility is not about what happens when a car is moving. It is about what happens when it stops; the simple, frustrating act of finding a parking space.
Recent data shows that only about 7 percent of drivers in San Francisco were able to drive directly to an open parking space. The remaining 93 percent took between 2 to 20 times longer to find an open spot.
In addition, UCLA found that up to 74 percent of city congestion is caused by drivers looking for parking. It is a huge waste of time and energy. And it will only get worse.
What if cars are linked to the roadways and can monitor the parking environment? What if we installed sensors in each parking spot? Or used the technology in cars to collect data on open parking spaces and load that data up into the cloud so any driver could find an open spot? Or even use autonomous driving to park your car for you at a nearby parking facility, and bring it back to you when you are ready to go?
Other dynamics or factors that can determine what we drive
Another issue is that with more cars on the streets and energy consumption a serious issue, demands for efficiency will change what cars are made of. Materials like carbon fibre, currently the stuff of race cars and multi-million rand exotics, will find their way into mainstream cars.
What defines car “ownership” or, rather, “access” to a vehicle will change, too. In congested urban environments, we will see more peer-to-peer applications and “on demand” transportation networks. In the Middle East, on-demand services like Uber are taking off in Dubai and other cities. People are looking at new ways to get where they need to go as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Finally, the act of driving itself will change. “Autonomous” driving, vehicles that drive themselves, will help reduce traffic delays. This technology will also improve road safety; a significant issue in developing countries.
Role of technology in all of these
As technology quickly evolves, we must push ourselves to look for new opportunities to solve bigger issues. This is the next challenge before us. We must find ways that mobility can improve the human condition.
It is time now to stretch our own imaginations and set our goals higher. It is time to knock down some new brick walls. In doing so, we will preserve and enhance our incredible freedom of mobility, and the quality of our lives.