Ford consolidates computer software
Across the room from Ford Product Development chief Doug Field was a pile of two-dozen auto parts, each with its own small computer, and software written by the parts maker.
Field explained at an investor event that the automaker is scrapping the pile, consolidating most computing into a central processor running software written by Ford.
Field, 57, talked to The Associated Press about what the change means to consumers.
How far along is Ford on moving to this central computing system?
The transition has happened where we designed the hardware and the software for the center screen. That’s gone into both the F-150 Lightning EV and the internal combustion F-Series. The next step is with our next generation of electric vehicles (in 2025). We’re expanding to control the overall vehicle and the autonomy system.
As a driver, why should I care about this?
The car’s a robot, which means the interaction with the software includes pieces of hardware. So something like an Amazon interface where you know a delivery is coming. A one-time code opens the trunk. That requires an interaction between centralized software and what today is a locking-unlocking module. There also are sensors that we don’t have access to the information. An example is an autonomy system to keep you in a lane. There’s a camera. We can’t say to the customer that we’re going to give you a dash cam for free or for a subscription where it’s always running. We will be able to do that.
You’ve shown the bear cam, where a Bronco at a campsite sees a bear and may honk the horn to scare it. How important is security?
We are going to build a whole set of services around this. The car is the most sophisticated sensor that you have, and the number of accelerometers and microphones and cameras on it will allow it to be not only something that protects you when you’re in the car, but it’ll be useful when you’re not there. Even acting as a remote sentry if there’s stuff going on outside the house.
How long will Ford still sell internal combustion vehicles?
There are applications where it is going to be near impossible for an EV to perform the same mission. There will be ones where it’s going to take a lot of work to get battery technologies to serve that mission. The incremental value to the world of getting those last ICE engines out versus the value that they provide to an ambulance in Alaska. That will take a very long time.
Affordability has become a big issue. Is there a $20,000 EV coming?
I don’t want to talk a lot about what we’re doing here. Yes, I believe very low cost EVs are possible. I also believe the way the business model is changing is going to require it. If you are in the software business, what you want is installed base. How many people can I sell software to?