Pushing forward with its plan to be “both a car company and a mobility company,” Ford on Friday said it’s getting into the crowd-sourced shuttle business and moving into bicycle sharing. In a fenced-off area in front of San Francisco City Hall, Ford Motor Co. Chief Executive Mark Fields said the company will acquire Chariot, a young San Francisco company. The start-up operates about 100 Ford Transit vans to shuttle passengers around the Bay Area, with the 28 routes chosen based on rider demand. Joined on stage by the mayors of San Francisco, San Jose and Berkeley, Fields, 55, said the moves signal a much larger presence by Ford in alternative transportation. Ford began its push into the mobility business years ago, but redoubled its efforts after Fields became CEO in July 2014.

Source: Los Angeles Times September 09, 2016 17:09 UTC