Ford and Postmates Partner to Explore Self-Driving Technologies in 2018
The face of American innovation today isn’t just about how we change lives or battle the most pressing challenges of our time, it’s also about how we tap new technology to transform local economies in a way that benefits the people that live and work in them. It’s that spirit which inspired Postmates to build the country’s largest on-demand ‘anything’ delivery app — connecting over 250,000 local merchants across 250 cities to millions of new customers.
And that’s why we’re proud to announce today that we’re teaming up with The Ford Motor Company, a leader in American manufacturing and innovation, to explore the sustainable application of self-driving technologies within local economies.
As the first on-demand delivery partner for Ford’s self-driving program, the first phase of our pilot will evaluate and measure what the merchant experience needs to be at the point of delivery, what the customer experience needs at the point of drop-off, and how the hardware of self-driving technology may need to be outfitted when integrated with an on-demand network. Specifically, the pilot will also evaluate how to reach new customer bases in less accessible areas — with the potential to alter the landscape of how commerce moves in the towns we call home.
While we’re excited to research the potential of self-driving technology, it’s important to note that our walkers, drivers, and bicyclists make up the largest on-demand delivery fleet in the country — and they will always be core to our platform. Our first commitment is to always prioritize what benefit can be realized by our customers, our fleet of Postmates and our merchant partners.
Jim Farley, Executive Vice President and President of Global Markets at Ford echoes this sentiment, re-emphasizing that the goal of the partnership is to better assist communities establish trust in new tools. “We have a shared vision with Postmates to help people unlock the best of their cities…When you combine the power and reach of self-driving vehicles with the deep knowledge of the Postmates team, the scale and scope of the expertise we put into action grows exponentially.”
And to that end, Vivek Patel, Vice President of Business Operations at Postmates is equally excited about the potential impact of the partnership. “Ford’s self-driving technology has the potential to not only make our delivery network faster and more efficient, but to ultimately connect more customers to more local businesses. Expanding access to smaller, local merchants is at the core of our business. We view self-driving vehicles as another potential tool that can even the playing field for these businesses, and ensure that geography alone does not equal destiny.”
Supporting small business growth and the smart application of new technologies in the communities we live and work in, is at the heart of what Postmates is all about. We’ve been at the forefront of adopting new tools that can get things to you faster, while easing congestion, cutting emissions and boosting local economies along the way — including being the first on-demand platform to test sidewalk class rovers for delivery in 2017. As self-driving vehicle technology begins to impact communities and urban transportation, we’re excited to work with Ford to see how this breakthrough technology can be applied as a force for good in local economies.
