Google and Ford sign partnership for connected vehicle technology

Ford has picked Google to power its in-car mapping and infotainment experience.

As part of a new, six-year partnership beginning in 2023, millions of future Ford and Lincoln vehicles at all price points will run Android, with Google apps and services built-in.

This includes Google Assistant, which allows voice control of various vehicle features; Google Maps will also be the vehicles’ primary navigation system; as well as Google Play streaming apps, podcasts, audiobooks and more.

Android in the car also enables Ford and third-party developers to build apps optimised for vehicles.

Read: Video: Saudi Crown Prince announces car-free, zero-carbon city, ‘The Line’

As part of the deal, Ford has also named Google Cloud its preferred cloud provider to leverage Google’s data, artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning (ML) capabilities.

Ford and Google are establishing a new collaborative group, Team Upshift to jointly develop projects ranging from developing new retail experiences when buying a vehicle, creating new ownership offers based on data and more.

“As Ford continues the most profound transformation in our history with electrification, connectivity and self-driving, Google and Ford coming together establish an innovation powerhouse truly able to deliver a superior experience for our customers and modernize our business,” said Jim Farley, president and CEO of Ford.

Separately, Google’s sister company Waymo is in advanced stage of its autonomous vehicle project. What started as Google’s development of self-driving technology in 2009 now runs a commercial self-driving taxi service that operates in the greater Phoenix, Arizona area called “Waymo One”, with Chandler, Arizona fully mapped. It is the only self-driving commercial service that operates without safety backup drivers in the vehicle.