Ford and Google partnering with aim to create better connected vehicles

Ford and Google today announced a unique strategic partnership to accelerate Ford’s transformation and reinvent the connected vehicle experience. Ford is one of Kentucky’s top employers with 4,500-plus team members at the Louisville Assembly Plant and 8,900-plus at the Kentucky Truck Plant in east Jefferson County

Ford named Google Cloud its preferred cloud provider to leverage Google’s world-class expertise in data, artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning (ML). As part of this new, six-year partnership—and beginning in 2023—millions of future Ford and Lincoln vehicles at all price points will be powered by Android, with Google apps and services built-in.

Kentucky Truck Plant produces Ford F-250–F-550 Super Duty Trucks, and the Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator SUVs. Louisville Assembly Plant produces the Ford Escape and Lincoln Corsair compact SUVs/

To drive ongoing innovation, Ford and Google are establishing a new collaborative group, Team Upshift. Leveraging the talent and assets of both companies, Team Upshift will push the boundaries of Ford’s transformation, unlock personalized consumer experiences, and drive disruptive, data-driven opportunities. This may include projects ranging from developing new retail experiences when buying a vehicle, creating new ownership offers based on data and more.

As its preferred cloud provider and starting later this year, Google will help Ford leverage Google Cloud’s AI, ML, and data analytics technologies to accelerate the automaker’s digital transformation, modernize operations, and power connected vehicle technologies with Google’s trusted, secure, and reliable cloud. With Google Cloud, Ford plans to:

• Further, improve customer experiences for customers with differentiated technology and personalized services
• Accelerate modernization of product development, manufacturing and supply chain management, including exploration of using vision AI for manufacturing employee training and even more reliable plant equipment performance
• Fast track the implementation of data-driven business models resulting in customers receiving real-time notices such as maintenance requests or trade-in alerts.
• Google Assistant, drivers can keep their eyes on the road and hands on the wheel, by getting things done with just their voice.
• Google Maps as the vehicles’ primary navigation, drivers can reach their destination faster with information on real-time traffic, automatic rerouting, lane guidance, and more.
• Google Play, drivers will have access to their favorite apps for listening to music, podcasts, audiobooks, and more. These apps are optimized and integrated for in-vehicle use.

Android in the car also enables Ford and third-party developers to build apps that provide a constantly improving and ever-more-personalized ownership experience.