Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) has introduced its GoDrive car-pooling service into the public limelight that includes about 50 cars that have been distributed over 20 locations.
The service was previously introduced as a closed beta that will host about 100 people. It is now open to roughly 2000 people who will have access to the 50 cars. The vice president of Ford research and advanced engineering, Ken Washington the concept of car-pooling has proved very successful. People have largely embraced the idea as a result of the increasing congestion within the cities, and owning a car is more stressful in such situations.
Such a service is important because it allows for easy transport and convenience in a place where public transport is getting increasingly difficult because it doesn’t include all areas. Thus the appeal.
According to Washington, the new service delivery will allow them to work with the drivers and see what exactly they need to deliver the service effectively. Also, this will allow them to figure out how to make improvements that will make the service more appealing.
The service uses a concept that the developers called pay-as-you-approach while clients pay by the minute for their trips. The charge includes the congestion charges, fuel, and insurance. When the project was in its trial phase, the vehicles were positioned in major transport hubs such as train stations. However now, the number of cars has been raised, and the vehicles are positioned in wider areas within the city.
Since the city is congested, and the vehicles will be on the move most of the time, Ford has made a few considerations. The vehicles used are small cars that can easily maneuver their way around. Due to some other factors like emissions, Ford decided to use the EcoBoost Ford Fiesta 1 litre and the electric Ford Focus cars.
Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) has already come up with various spots where drivers can drop off the cars once they get to their destinations. Ford might me considering per day pricing rather than per hour pricing. In terms of pricing, Ford would not disclose that information but sources revealed that it might be $10 per hour.
