Ford Partners With Google To Advance Built-In Apps, Services

Ford and Google are partnering to launch Team Upshift, a six-year partnership intended to advance vehicle innovation and data-driven opportunities.

“As Ford continues the most profound transformation in our history with electrification, connectivity and self-driving, Google and Ford coming together establishes an innovation powerhouse truly able to deliver a superior experience for our customers and modernize our business,” Jim Farley, president and CEO of Ford, said in a press release on Monday (Feb. 1).

Team Upshift will leverage both firms’ talent and assets to advance various projects, such as developing new car-buying retail experiences and data-based ownership offers.

This first-of-its-kind partnership will also offer exclusive services and capabilities for Ford and Lincoln customers. Starting in 2023, Ford and Lincoln vehicles will be equipped with built-in Google apps and services powered by the mobile Android operating system.

Ford also named Google Cloud as its preferred cloud provider. Later in 2021, Google will help Ford leverage its artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML) and data analytics technologies. The end goal is to advance Ford’s digital transformation while powering connected vehicle technologies and updating overall operations.

“From the first moving assembly line to the latest driver-assist technology, Ford has set the pace of innovation for the automotive industry for nearly 120 years,” said Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google and Alphabet. 

He added that Ford will “apply the best of Google’s AI, data analytics, compute and cloud platforms” that will help revamp its business while also developing “automotive technologies” intended to keep drivers “safe and connected on the road.”

The in-car Android operating system will also give Ford and third-party developers the ability to develop apps that provide a personalized car ownership experience.

“We are obsessed with creating must-have, distinctively Ford products and services,” said Farley. “This integration will unleash our teams to innovate for Ford and Lincoln customers while seamlessly providing access to Google’s world-class apps and services.”

Although many commuters are working remotely due to the pandemic, a recent survey showed that most people expect that at some point, they’ll be commuting again. Ericsson’s Augmenting the Daily Commute report indicated that one in four commuters would be willing to extend their commutes by 20 minutes if they could rely upon their arrival time. Almost 50 percent of respondents expressed unhappiness about the availability of real-time information that could help with planning everyday commutes.