Fleets Part of Ford's 2018 Mobility Strategy
Ford is looking to leverage burgeoning vehicle connectivity technology to deliver improved data services and fleet optimization for commercial fleets, which is part of the Ford Mobility team’s strategy to accelerate delivery of mobility products and services to customers in 2018.

Graphic courtesy of Ford.

Graphic courtesy of Ford.
Ford is looking to leverage burgeoning vehicle connectivity technology to deliver improved data services and fleet optimization for commercial fleets, which is part of the Ford Mobility team’s strategy to accelerate delivery of mobility products and services to customers in 2018.
Ford’s mobility team looks to deliver improved digital services to fleet, personal, and city customers by providing 100% connectivity of new vehicles in the U.S. by 2019, with a goal of 90% connectivity on a global scale by 2020, according to the automaker.
Ford also plans to accelerate its strategy via the expansion of the Transportation Mobility Cloud, its open, cloud-based platform, which manages information flow and basic transactions between a variety of components in the transportation ecosystem, said Ford. The expansion will include the involvement of other automakers, suppliers, partners and cities. Also, a developer network to build and support the system also will be launched.
Ford is also expanding its ride-sharing technologies via Chariot, the cornerstone of Ford’s microtransit solutions, and will see an acceleration of city launches globally this year. Further still, Ford Mobility will expand its non-emergency medical transportation operation from a Southeast Michigan pilot with Beaumont Health into a full business serving multiple medical systems, Ford announced in a release.
Ford acquired two organizations to support its growth in mobility solutions: Autonomic, which specializes in scale, architecture and leverage for transportation industry solutions; and TransLoc, which is a provider of demand-response technology for city-owned microtransit solutions, according to the automaker.
Ford also is announcing the reorganization of the teams developing and scaling mobility solutions.
The reorganization will establish four new groups focused on mobility products, services and businesses: Ford X, which is responsible for ensuring Ford is continuously discovering and actively incubating new business models, and will oversee the Transportation Mobility Cloud platform; Mobility Business Group, which will oversee Ford Commercial Solutions, Ford’s microtransit businesses, autonomous vehicle businesses, and other future businesses; Mobility Platforms and Products, which will lead design and development for the technology underpinning Ford’s mobility businesses; and Mobility Marketing and Growth, which will seek to drive demand with consumers and commercial customers, and ensure the voice of the customer is heard throughout the organization.
With the new reorganization, several leadership appointments are also being announced: Sunny Madra, CEO and cofounder of Autonomic, will join Ford as VP, Ford X; Marion Harris, CFO, Ford Credit, will be named VP, Mobility Business Group; Rich Strader, who is named VP, Mobility Platforms and Products; and Brett Wheatley, director, Ford Marketing, Sales and Service Fitness Transformation, named VP, Mobility Marketing and Growth.
More Operations

Fleet Has a Talent Pipeline Problem. What Comes Next? | AF News Recap
Where will fleet’s next generation of leaders come from? This week, we’re looking at the industry’s talent pipeline, what certification can add to a fleet career, how to build an award-worthy track record, and the return of Automotive Fleet’s Personal Use Survey.
Read More →
Smith System Launches Driver Risk Management Program
Fleets have more driver data than ever, but identifying risky behavior doesn't necessarily correct it. Smith System's new Driver Risk Management program combines monitoring, training, and follow-up coaching to help fleets connect risk signals with driver intervention.
Read More →
Automotive Fleet Opens 2026 Personal Use Survey for Commercial Fleet Managers
Less than two weeks left! Commercial and corporate fleet managers are invited to share how their organizations handle company vehicle personal-use policies, charges, and driver eligibility.
Read More →
From AI Prompts to AI-Generated Safety Songs | AF News Recap
Can better prompts make AI more useful for fleet managers? This week, we’re breaking down smarter fleet analysis, an AI-assisted experiment that turned safety training into music, and what happened to fuel prices in August.
Read More →
How to Write Better AI Prompts for Fleet Analysis
Include these six elements in your fleet prompts to generate more relevant analysis and accurate answers.
Read More →
Fleet Meets: Eric Kilgore
This edition of the Fleet Meets series features one of the industry's best leaders driving multi-market and national operations.
Read More →
Why Reactive Fleet Management Is Becoming Too Expensive to Sustain
Research highlights a growing need for proactive management strategies to address rising costs in fleet operations effectively.
Read More →
What Your Fleet KPIs Aren’t Telling You
Tracking fleet metrics is only useful when the data leads to better decisions. This guide helps fleet leaders assess cost, utilization, and downtime more accurately, identify performance gaps, and prioritize the actions that can improve operational results.
Read More →
Hidden in Plain Sight: Fleet Compliance Risks
Fleet compliance isn't just about having policies — it's about consistently enforcing them. This practical guide reveals six hidden compliance risks common in public sector and shared fleet operations and outlines proven strategies to improve visibility, accountability, and audit readiness
Read More →
Turning Fleet Payment Data into Executive Insights
Does data alone drive results in operations?
Read More →