Ford Focuses on the Future of Urban Transportation

By Ann Binlot June 27, 2015

the future of urban transportation is with ford mode flex e bike 1 970x546 c — Image used with permission by copyright holder

In just a few years — 2017, to be exact — estimates the Global Health Observatory, the majority of the earth’s population will live in cities. The United Nations says that by 2050 approximately 60 percent of the world population will live in an urban area. That’s why Ford, the Dearborn, Michigan-based automaker who pioneered large-scale auto manufacturing back in the early 1900s is moving into a new realm, which started with the inauguration of a Silicon Valley Research Innovation Center, which opened in Palo Alto, California, earlier this year.

A few days ago, at the Further With Ford 2015 conference in San Francisco and the Silicon Valley, Ford announced the introduction of new technologies that will make transportation easier in cities: a new eBike and a peer-to-peer car-sharing program. “We really want to be part of the community,” said Ford CEO Mark Fields. “We’re focused on three priorities: accelerating the pace of progress on our One Ford plan, delivering product excellence with a lot of passion, and also driving innovation into every part of our business.”

With the surging urban population growth, Ford is focusing on the Ford Smart Mobility plan. “Henry Ford understood that mobility is all about freedom: the freedom to choose where to live, where to work and where to play,” said Fields. After a research phase, the company is now in the implementation part of its plan, which is based around two products: a new Peer-2-Peer Car Sharing program, which could possibly be the AirBNB of the automobile world. Ford is also introducing its third eBike: the MoDe:Flex, which is reconfigurable based on each rider’s needs. “The bike’s center frame assembly includes the motor and battery, while the front and rear assemblies and wheels can be configured for road, mountain or city riding,” says a release. “The bike folds and stores inside any Ford vehicle – where it can be charged while stowed.”

So just think — need a car, or aren’t using your own? If you’re signed up with Ford’s Peer-2-Peer Car Sharing program, you can benefit from people’s automobiles. Or an eBike — we know that we could use a bike that comes with navigation capabilities. Looks like at the moment, the future may be with Ford.

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Ann Binlot is a New York-based freelance writer who contributes to publications like The Economist, Wallpaper*, Monocle…

Culture

Expert Rick Strassman talks psilocybin, LSD, DMT, and the future of psychedelics

Dr. Rick Strassman is here to tell us all about his guide to psychedelics

Some psychedelic trippiness.

Few people on Earth (or perhaps beyond?) can explain psychedelics as well as Dr. Rick Strassman. While he’s particularly well known for his foundational research on DMT, his expertise spans psilocybin, LSD, MDMA, ketamine, ayahuasca, mescaline, and a few others you might not have even heard of. Suffice it to say that he’s one of the biggest names in psychedelics, and having read hundreds of wide-ranging research papers on the topic, I've noticed that he is among the most frequently cited names in the field.

In 2000, Dr. Strassman rose to prominence with the release of his first book, DMT: The Spirit Molecule, in which he shared a decade’s worth of research on the substance. He was among the first of a new wave of psychedelic researchers to emerge in the early 1990s after decades of prohibition, and his scientifically- and medically-backed advocacy for psychedelics helped fuel the research boom and drive the psychedelic renaissance in which we find ourselves today.

Culture

Indiana Jones vs. Han Solo: Which iconic Harrison Ford character is the bigger badass?

Which Harrison Ford hero is your favorite?

Harrison Ford/Han Solo image

Most actors would be lucky to play a single iconic action hero at some point throughout their careers. Imagine having two legendary roles that come to mind when fans and critics are evaluating your place in film history! If you're Harrison Ford, you don't have to envision this scenario because it's an incredible reality.

Ford is a superstar of the highest degree, and his portrayals of both Indiana Jones from the same-named series of movies, and Han Solo from the Star Wars franchise left an indelible mark on film history. In the grand scheme of Harrison Ford movies, these two characters stand out above the rest in his career.

Culture

The best history books to transport yourself to the past

Check out these insightful history books

Looking for a way to pass time and escape from the present? Diving deep into the pages of books about the past is a great way to go about it. History is messy stuff, but much of it is, in fact, not ugly and not all that hard to process. The more you know about it, the more the messes make sense, both in a historical and modern context. Here are some of the best history books that give you brilliant knowledge in enjoyable prose.

While best is an easy word to throw around, it's harder to pin down. In the case of the best history books ever written, best is a highly subjective distinction that depends on your perspective. What is considered the best by someone born in raised in Los Angeles, for example, is likely very different from someone raised in Tokyo. It is, however, fairly easy to determine the greats that should be included in any true history buff's reading list.