Lifestyle

Ford looks to future with new app, stores

Ford looks to future with new app, stores

By ASSOCIATED PRESS

Carlos Ghosn, Chairman and CEO of Nissan Motors, talks about the new Infiniti Q60 sports coupe behind him on stage at the North American International Auto Show, Monday, January 11, 2016, in Detroit. Photo: AP

DETROIT: Ford Motor Co. wants relationships with customers that go beyond car purchases as it anticipates industry changes like car-sharing. So it's creating FordPass. For now, it's an app that can help drivers reserve a parking space and pay for it ahead of time, or contact specially trained guides to get them through traffic or find a restaurant. Members can also redeem rewards at places like McDonald's. In the future, the program could expand to facilitate car-sharing or ride-hailing services, or autonomously summon a parked Ford. The company is also opening stores in several major cities, including New York and Shanghai, where people can learn about Ford technology and configure a car. Ford Executive Chairman Bill Ford says Ford needs to experiment and not just watch from the sidelines as new ideas about transportation transform the industry. 'We're in a very fluid world now.'