Ford extends its GoDrive car-sharing scheme in London
GoDrive is unique in offering one-way trips with guaranteed parking and pay-as-you-go approach with pay-per-minute pricing
Ford Motor Company will begin making its London-based GoDrive car-sharing service available to the public, offering flexible, practical and affordable access to a fleet of cars for one-way journeys with easy parking throughout the city.
With the global car-sharing industry expected to exceed £3.8 billion by 2020, Ford is introducing GoDrive to target on-demand use and gain insight on emerging mobility trends and customers car-sharing habits – working with Londoners to understand their mobility needs and travel and parking patterns.
“As cities become more and more congested, people are becoming increasingly open to new means of mobility, and car sharing is proving to be an appealing model,” said Ken Washington, vice president, Ford Research and Advanced Engineering. “A crucial part of delivering effective car-sharing services is to learn alongside these drivers what best meets their needs and expectations, and complements their location and existing transportation infrastructure.”
Intended to complement existing transport systems for integrated journeys, GoDrive is the only car-sharing service offering one-way trips with guaranteed parking. A pay-as-you-go approach covers congestion fees, insurance and fuel with half of the fleet consisting of Ford Focus Electric vehicles.
The pilot experiment launched with 100 registered members accessing zero‑emission Ford Focus Electric or low-emission Ford Fiesta 1.0-litre EcoBoost models from secure parking hubs near major public transport locations, such as Waterloo and Victoria railway stations.
Ford is now inviting 2,000 people to register for a free expanded service offering 50 cars across 20 locations.
With the experiment currently in its ‘beta’ phase, Ford hopes to build on the initial success and gain further insight into user behaviour that will help refine the customer experience. Different weekend and day-hire pricing options, and further on- and off-street parking options will be investigated.
Ford is offering free membership and a £20 free driving credit to new members who sign up to the GoDrive beta programme here: https://www.go-drive.com/.
