Ford Survey sees rise in Car Sharing and Taxi Hailing apps in Malaysia

In the Asia Pacific region, one in four respondents of Ford’s survey said they use a ride hailing more than once a week to get around. The convenience and safety of a ride hailing app on a night out make them especially appealing. In the Malaysian context, ride sharing has increased by 16% from last year. A majority of 76% of respondents still have a private car as their means of transport, while taxi services and ride sharing or hailing apps are roughly on par at 12%

Ford believes that this can be taken further and applied specifically to various social groups. They are looking at different sharing models across the U.S., Europe, and Asia; Ford in India is looking at promoting car sharing between close knit groups like families and colleagues.

The Bangalore experiment involves car sharing within neighbourhoods, and Ford has been collecting data on driver behaviours and user patterns in order to further develop their ride sharing model. The data is also going towards their autonomous vehicle programs in the U.S. in order to further refine the 30 test mules currently in operation.

There are more motivations for Ford’s Smart Mobility program than merely developing autonomous cars. The company truly believes that through better car sharing and mobility models, we will be able to handle the population explosion and in turn reduce the effects on our climate.