Ford's new connected car initiative includes RTP's Spiffy for on-demand maintenance
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK – Ford Motor Company is rolling out a connected car initiative that enables vehicle owners to allow access to their vehicles without keys, and Triangle-based Get Spiffy is one of the partners.
“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.,” Ford says. “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, which is run by veteran entrepreneur and investor Scot Wingo, is one of several on-demand maintenance providers selected by Ford to participate.
“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,” Ford notes. Spiffy also covers the Triangle. Other partners include Sparkl and Rub A Dub.
Spiffy launched its own no-need-to-exchange-keys program last Novem ber.
RTP startup Spiffy speeds up on-demand car maintenance: No need to exchange keys
Ford already has a high-tech car presence in the Triangle, having acquired TransLoc,a transportation technology firm, last year.
The new program revolves around Ford’s FordPass Connect and Lincoln Connect. It is limited to 2017 models or newer.
And there’s much more to the initiative, such as working with Amazon for package delivery.
“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,” Ford says.
“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.”
WINGO LIKES THE OPPORTUNITY
“We’re excited to be working with Ford to serve the next generation of vehicles, which we refer to as Vehicle 2.0,” Wingo said in a statement. “This partnership gets us one step closer towards fully utilizing connected car capabilities.”
Spiffy’s Vehicle 2.0 vision is all about how to bring more services to vehicles of today and the future. It is built around four “pillars:”
Connectivity
Electrification
Autonomy
Ownership
The Ford offering means vehicle operators can schedule maintenance by Spiffy without having to hand off keys.
“Our customers are really busy. They often choose Spiffy for the convenience factor and stay for the excellent service,” Wingo explaied. “The connected car initiative removes the ‘key exchange’ process, and that’s an important step towards our goal of zero-friction car care services.”