Ford’s Future Plans May Change How We Look at Our Trucks

Communication Is Key

Optimizing at this system level requires the components in the transportation ecosystem be able to communicate — to speak the same language. That’s where technology like cellular vehicle-to-everything can play an important role. C-V2X capability, which we’re working to validate with our partners at Qualcomm, enables various technologies and applications in a city — vehicles, stoplights, signs, cyclists and pedestrian devices — to speak to each other and share information.

Ford believes C-V2X will enable our cars and cities of the future to share fast, safe, and secure communications. Sharing mobility data amongst communities can help unclog streets and open up curb space, while communications between vehicles and city infrastructure can help optimize traffic flow. Imagine sitting in a vehicle and having the one in front send an alert about a road hazard that’s forcing it to make a sudden movement, giving your vehicle a chance to adjust its positioning safely. Consider the benefits of having a stoplight along your commute that sends you an alert about stopped traffic, giving you time to reroute and emergency vehicles a clear path to the accident ahead.

Consider the benefits of having a stoplight that sends you an alert about stopped traffic, giving you time to reroute and emergency vehicles a clear path ahead.

The potential of these two initiatives — our open mobility services platform and participation in a robust communications system — will truly come into its own when self-driving vehicles enter the urban transportation system in high volumes and change the way people and goods get around. We aren’t interested in developing self-driving vehicles to operate simply as isolated nodes in a massive transportation environment, because that likely won’t deliver on the potential the technology can bring about. Inside an efficient, connected and optimized transportation system, this technology holds the promise for a whole new approach to moving goods, distributing content and serving humanity.