This Summer Ford has been very active in the field of cutting edge transport and delivery solutions.
In July the automotive company announced the launch in New York of Chariot, its app based crowd sourced low cost shuttle service . On 29th August Ford started off its first ever self driving pizza delivery test in partnership with Domino’s.
Shuttle service at $4 with Chariot, extended to NY
During typical commuting times, Chariot shuttles travel to busy areas where people work. Riders simply check the app to find commuter routes near them, then reserve a guaranteed seat for a flat rate of $4. Each Chariot comfortably accommodates more than a dozen people and guarantees seats for every rider.
New York is the latest market to get Chariot’s service, which launched with two pre-planned service areas of 60 vehicles operating in Manhattan and Brooklyn. In San Francisco, where Chariot operates 12 commuter service areas, about 20 percent of riders use it to connect to transit hubs, such as BART and Caltrain, or to ferry terminals.
“Our mission at Chariot is to provide reliable, safe and affordable transportation for as many people as possible,” said Chariot CEO Ali Vahabzadeh. “We want to connect people more easily to where they want to go, whether they need help making it to a transit hub or live in an area underserved by public transportation.”
In 2016, average weekday ridership on the subway was 5.7 million people — the highest since 1948, according to the New York Metropolitan Transit Authority — and annual ridership topped 1.7 billion. But, while 94 percent of residential units in Manhattan are within half a mile of a subway stop, only 54 percent of units in Queens are, according to research by New York University’s Furman Center. For many Queens’ residents, simply getting to a transit point can be difficult, particularly for low-income, elderly and the disabled.
“We know how important it is for everyone to be able to get around effectively, especially in densely populated places like New York,” said Jessica Robinson, director, Ford City Solutions. “Chariot is one way we’re trying to help cities accommodate their residents and ensure people aren’t sacrificing their needs as a result of limited mobility options.” Ford acquired Chariot in 2016.
Innovative payment solutions available and crowd sourced new routes to come
To keep Chariot affordable, payment solutions such as WageWorks and commuter checks are available. The mentioned payment solutions allow people to use pretax wages to pay for commuting costs fully compatible with the service.
Chariot users also have the option to create additional service areas through crowd-sourcing, including custom routes for areas they feel would benefit from Chariot. They can share their proposed route with friends, family and neighbors who may be taking similar commutes. Once enough riders sign up and fund a proposed route, as many Chariots as needed will be dispatched to service the area.
Chariot enterprise and charter, to launch this fall
By this fall it is planned to launch Chariot enterprise and charter services in New York. Enterprise service is for companies that want to provide shared commutes for their employees, while charters allow users to directly book a private 14-passenger Chariot for day trips or events.
Ford hopes the low-cost shuttle service will also help alleviate the number of vehicles on the road, which has become a big issue in New York City, as its population continues to grow and more people are using public transportation than ever before.
Domino’s delivery test with Ford self driving prototipes in Michigan
Domino’s Pizza, world leading pizza delivery company, and Ford Motor Co. have launched an industry-first collaboration to understand the role that self-driving vehicles can play in pizza delivery.
Eastwind told about the partnership on its You Tube Channel on 30th August.
Over the next several weeks, randomly-selected Domino’s customers in Ann Arbor will have the opportunity to receive their delivery order from a Ford Fusion Hybrid Autonomous Research Vehicle, which will be manually-driven by a Ford safety engineer and staffed with researchers. Customers who agree to participate will be able to track the delivery vehicle through GPS using an upgraded version of Domino’s Tracker®. They will also receive text messages as the self-driving vehicle approaches that will guide them on how to retrieve their pizza using a unique code to unlock the Domino’s Heatwave Compartment™ inside the vehicle.
Local partner Roush Enterprises fabricated the prototype vehicle’s pizza container, Domino’s Heatwave Compartment, based on its experience working with Domino’s on the DXP® delivery vehicle in 2015. Ford and Domino’s completed preliminary testing of the delivery process using the vehicle in self-driving mode at Mcity, the simulated urban environment on the University of Michigan’s campus. The city of Ann Arbor also has been supportive of the testing process.
Researchers from both companies Domino’s and Ford, will investigate customer reactions to interacting with a self-driving vehicle as a part of their delivery experience. This research is important as both companies begin to examine and understand customers’ perspectives around the future of food delivery with self-driving vehicles.
“As delivery experts, we’ve been watching the development of self-driving vehicles with great interest as we believe transportation is undergoing fundamental, dramatic change,” said Patrick Doyle, Domino’s president and CEO. “We pride ourselves on being technology leaders and are excited to help lead research into how self-driving vehicles may play a role in the future of pizza delivery. This is the first step in an ongoing process of testing that we plan to undertake with Ford.”
Ford builds out its business enabled by self-driving vehicles, so conducting research with companies, like Domino’s, will be crucial to ensuring that the technology is applied in ways that enhance the customer experience. With a plan to begin production of self-driving vehicles in 2021, Ford is taking steps to design a business to meet the needs of both partner companies and their customers.
“As we increase our understanding of the business opportunity for self-driving vehicles to support the movement of people and goods, we’re pleased to have Domino’s join us in this important part of the development process,” said Sherif Marakby, Ford vice president, Autonomous and Electric Vehicles. “As a company focused on the customer experience, Domino’s shares our vision for a future enabled by smart vehicles in a smart environment that enhance people’s lives.”
“We’re interested to learn what people think about this type of delivery,” said Russell Weiner, president of Domino’s USA. “The majority of our questions are about the last 50 feet of the delivery experience. For instance, how will customers react to coming outside to get their food? We need to make sure the interface is clear and simple. We need to understand if a customer’s experience is different if the car is parked in the driveway versus next to the curb. All of our testing research is focused on our goal to someday make deliveries with self-driving vehicles as seamless and customer-friendly as possible.”
Imagen sobre el titular.- Chariot, the crowd-sourced shuttle service launching in New York, will offer in-app ride booking for first- and last-mile commuting solutions, and the potential to reach underserved areas. © Ford Motor company.
Related Eastwind Marketing links:
Ford and Domino’s delivery self driving vehicles test
Related Eastwind Marketing links (old platform):
Draw your pizza and just get it delivered with CP+B 3D Domino’s Pen
Domino’s Pizza perhaps planning to change motorbikes into DomiCopters
Pizza Hut shows first connected car purchase on the go experience at MobileWorld Congress
Related external links:
Chariot Shuttle Service Launching in New York City
Related Eastwind links:
Ford announces Jim Hackett as new President and CEO and further restructuring
Ford adds AI to its self driving car project through investment in Argo AI
