Ford is diverging from competitors in the commercial self-driving car market by developing partnerships with a diversity of companies like Domino’s and Lyft. This February, Ford initiated a pilot program to deliver Domino’s Pizza in Miami via a revenue-sharing model that will support Ford’s fleet management service. Unlike competitor GM, Ford will offer self-driving vehicles to their partners to be used under their brand name.
Going forward, Ford’s model looks to create revenue on a per-mile basis while offering streaming services within the vehicle for advertisers to purchase. Representatives from Ford say the mixed-use model that moves products as well as people has a far better chance of staying engaged and operating throughout the business day. Likewise, Ford is planning to utilize hybrid electric-gas vehicles that the company deems more reliable than GM’s pure electric Cruise AV vehicles.
With the Miami program rolling out, Ford will expand the program to other cities around the country soon.
