Ford announced on Monday it would spend CNY11.4bn (US$1.8bn) on research and development in China by 2020. It said it would "significantly build up its research and development capabilities in the country" – especially at its Nanjing Research and Engineering Center (REC) – and develop more vehicles in China, for China.
"With this investment in research and development, the next generation of Ford vehicles will be completely designed around our customers," said president and CEO Mark Fields, visiting China to make the announcement. "They will be even better for the environment, in sync with their connected lifestyles, and packed with innovative technologies to keep our customers safe, help them park, and avoid collisions."
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Established in 2007 as part of Ford’s global product development network, the REC houses product development laboratories which help the automaker develop new powertrains, test electronic systems, analyse the durability and safety of interior materials and improve vehicle manufacturing quality using 3-D scanning technologies.
Ford is currently building the Nanjing Test Center, a comprehensive vehicle testing facility which features a full test track equipped with a constant-speed oval, special surfaces, steep grades and a precision steering road.
"The expansion of the facilities at REC will allow us to continue innovating in China for China, and ensure that China is a center for innovation globally," said Fields.
The company also announced that there will be more than 1m SYNC-equipped vehicles on the road in China by the end of 2015. This will be followed with the 2016 introduction of SYNC 3.
"The next generation of Ford vehicles is being completely designed around our customers," said John Lawler, chairman and CEO of Ford Motor China. "Ford is constantly going further to improve the innovative technologies that keep drivers safer and connected to their world."
SYNC 3 is faster, more intuitive and easier to use. Enhanced voice recognition technology, a more smartphone-like interface and easier-to-read graphics help to deliver an easier way to stay connected. In China, SYNC also will be the first in-car connectivity technology to support Tencent’s new in-vehicle app, Chelian which enables drivers to access popular Tencent services such as the QQ messaging app, as well as music, real-time traffic conditions and streaming radio. Drivers will be able to control the app with SYNC through Ford’s in-car connectivity system, AppLink.
"QQ is China’s largest social-media platform, with more than 840m active user accounts. As the first in-car system compatible with Tencent’s Chelian app, SYNC is uniquely positioned to become part of the lives of Chinese consumers who want to stay in touch while on the road," said Lawler.
City innovation
With six cities with populations of over 10m people in 2014, out of 28 such megacities worldwide, Ford thinks China an ideal place to introduce innovations aimed at improving urban mobility – part of its global Smart Mobility plan "to deliver the next level in connectivity, mobility, autonomous vehicles, the customer experience and big data".
Through the Dida "CityRide" project, drivers of Ford vehicles in the pilot cities of Beijing and Shanghai registered as users of Dida Pinche, a carpooling app, are offering to carpool with passengers on their morning and evening commutes. During the month-long campaign, Ford and Dida offered 170,000 rides to people in the two pilot cities.
New EVs
Starting in 2016, Ford will launch the C-Max Energi plug-in hybrid and the Mondeo hybrid electric. Leveraging Ford’s global experience and expertise in NEV development, the two vehicles will help to reduce consumers’ fuel bills while reducing emissions in China’s crowded cities.
"Introducing a range of advanced technologies from gas to hybrid to plug-in hybrids by 2020, alongside our growing EcoBoost lineup shows how we will deliver on our promise to provide customers in China with the power of choice," said Lawler. "This range is completely designed around our customers, giving them the fuel economy they need and the performance they want.
Ford also is working on ways to help reduce customers’ environmental impact through cooperation with leaders in the home appliance, renewable energy and power management industries. The MyEnergi Lifestyle pilot program in Shanghai and Beijing is designed to demonstrate the real-world impact of energy-saving products by showing how combining renewable energy sources, efficient home appliances and a plug-in vehicle can significantly reduce families’ energy costs and carbon footprint.
"Creating more-efficient vehicles and greener manufacturing is a start, but reducing energy consumption isn’t something that can be solved without cooperation with consumers and across industries," said Lawler. "With MyEnergi lifestyle, we’re working with experts like Haier, Trina Solar and Delta Electronics to develop a more energy efficient future for China and countries around the world."
The Chinese government in Beijing has been trying to encourage the use of more electric vehicles to combat pollution but progress has been slow mainly due to the lack of infrastructure.
