From Package Deliveries to Mobile Car Washes, Ford Brings New Services to Your Connected Car

By Lorin Kennedy, FordPass Ecosystem Business Leader, Ford Motor Company

For more than a century, Ford has powered people’s ability to get where they need to go with safe, reliable cars.

Now, we think it’s time to flip the script. Instead of using our vehicles solely to get us to our destinations, what if we used them as beacons to bring convenient and secure services to us?

Thanks to advancements in wireless technology, we now are easily connected to the goods and services we want. With the internet, we’ve been able to save time by shopping online instead of leaving the house for everything from food and clothing, to electronics and more. And the results have been undeniable. Last year alone, the United States Postal Service delivered close to 6.2 billion packages — double the amount it delivered almost a decade ago.

Some of these packages fit snugly into our mailboxes or can be accepted by building staff, but a lot of them end up sitting outside on porches and front stoops — vulnerable to bad weather or going missing. So, it’s easy to get anxious about your deliveries when you aren’t home to receive them.

That’s why we’re teaming up with Amazon to bring its Key by Amazon In-Car delivery service to eligible Ford and Lincoln vehicles. Through In-Car delivery, eligible Ford and Lincoln owners now can have their Amazon Prime packages delivered to their vehicles. It’s a convenient, secure way to ensure your packages are delivered directly to you when you are out for the day, anticipating bad weather or wondering if your package is safe.

Key by Amazon in-car delivery is available for select Ford 2017 and later model year vehicles equipped with FordPass Connect, and for Lincoln 2018 and later model year vehicles equipped with Lincoln Connect. In-Car delivery will be available virtually anywhere that Amazon offers the service, which is currently in several U.S. cities and surrounding areas.

To use the in-car service you need to download the FordPass or Lincoln Way app, create an account, and activate your car for in-car delivery. Amazon Key app enables in-car deliveries by linking your Amazon Prime account with your FordPass or Lincoln Way account.

You’ll receive notifications throughout the delivery process, including a head’s up right before delivery takes place and a confirmation that delivery is complete and your car has been securely locked. And for added peace of mind, the delivery driver verifies that your vehicle has been successfully relocked before proceeding with the next delivery. Plus, you are always in control, so if you change your mind the day of delivery, you can block access to your car; delivery will be made to the building where your car is parked or you can reschedule the delivery to the following day.

And while this service alone is pretty exciting, Key In-Car delivery is just the first wave of what’s possible. Through our Ford connected vehicle services, other businesses are able to integrate their apps with Ford and Lincoln connected vehicles. This will allow us to deliver additional new services to our customers’ vehicles that improve their daily lives.

For example, in addition to Key by Amazon, we’re also working with several different on-demand car wash services through FordPass and Lincoln Way, to give people the option to purchase eco-friendly car washes from Spiffy, Rub A Dub and Sparkl wherever these services are available.

Just think — instead of driving to a car wash and waiting in line, these companies can come straight to your car with a number of different services, including water-saving car washes and detailing service. And with the new functionality, they can unlock and lock your vehicle to clean the interior too, even removing pet hair that’s dug its way into your seats and floors.

Spiffy is finalizing the launch of their Ford and Lincoln connected vehicle services for on-demand car washing in Atlanta, Charlotte, Dallas, Los Angeles, and Raleigh. Sparkl recently launched their on-demand car washing experience in the Chicago metro area, and Rub A Dub will launch later this year.

Deliveries. Car washes. You can imagine the many on-demand services that are coming to your Ford and Lincoln vehicle. After all, people everywhere are actively looking for ways to simplify their lives. The on-demand economy is attracting more than 22.4 million consumers annually and $57.6 billion in spending, according to the Harvard Business Review, and that is only expected to grow. At Ford, we are committed to working with these service providers to bring valuable, convenient options directly to our customer — or at least their car.

Note: FordPass Connect™/Lincoln Connect™ service is required (see App Terms for more information) and connected service and related feature functionality is subject to compatible AT&T-network availability. Evolving technology/cellular networks may affect functionality and availability, or continued provision of some features, prohibiting them from functioning. Message and data rates may apply.