Dearborn-based Ford Motor Co. has launched a car-sharing service in London that offers access to a fleet of cars for one-way journeys throughout the city.
“As cities become more and more congested, people are becoming increasingly open to new means of mobility, and car sharing is proving to be an appealing model,” says Ken Washington, vice president of research and advanced engineering for Ford.
Drivers use a smartphone app to reserve and access a car. GoDrive uses a pay-by-minute pricing model, which covers congestion fees, insurance, and fuel. Ford is inviting 2,000 people to register for the service, which offers 50 cars across 20 locations.
Ford has also launched car-sharing services in Germany, India, and the United States. In India, Ford is working with Zoomcar to test a sharing concept that would allow groups such as co-workers, roommates, and families to share a vehicle among multiple drivers. In New York and London, the automotive company is working on a shareable service that will offer point-to-point pick-up and drop-off on-demand.
Ford has also started a car swap in Dearborn. Participating company employees use a mobile app that allows them to search for a vehicle that meets their needs and negotiate terms of the swap. Ford will use it as an experiment to look at how car swapping can be made easier and more convenient.
