It’s never too early to start planning for the future.
Ford took that sentiment to another level at the North American International Auto Show on Monday, revealing its “City of Tomorrow” concept. The company’s vision is twofold, as it aims to “inspire innovation and assist cities in solving mobility challenges to help people move more easily today and in the future,” Ford said in a press release.
The company has plans for both the near and distant future. In the short term, Ford expects autonomous vehicles — including its own first fully autonomous vehicle — to be introduced in cities within five years. Ford also anticipates electronic vehicles outnumbering gasoline-powered vehicles within five years.
Ford also announced the expansion of Chariot — the company-owned, crowd-sourced ride-sharing service — to eight cities, including one outside the U.S., within a year. Chariot currently services only San Francisco and Austin, Texas. Additionally, Ford is bringing “GoBike,” a bicycle-based ride sharing service, to California’s Bay Area.
Ford said it aims to tackle the problems of congestion and limited mobility in urban environments by introducing a variety of innovations, including high-speed public transit and large concentrations of electric, autonomous vehicles.
Of course, many of the innovations Ford described are likely a long way from becoming reality. But being ambitious isn’t bad, as the plan even includes drones that would quickly survey and map areas for a variety of issues, including traffic jams, which sounds pretty cool.
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Thumbnail photo via Ford
