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Ford Motor Company announced Tuesday it is entering the implementation phase of its Ford Smart Mobility Plan, and the company is bringing its digital-savvy smartbike concept along with it.
The corporation unveiled the MoDe:Flex at the Further with Ford trends conference, an eBike with the versatility to provide hands-free, turn-by-turn navigation while also being able to track your heart rate.
Connecting to users’ smartphones by utilizing the MoDe:Link app, the MoDe:Flex provides up to the minute information pertaining to navigation, weather, time and traffic, among other features.
“The fact that it communicates so well with your phone, it really brings more options to the consumer,” Ford Motor Company Senior Creative Designer Bruce Williams told Mashable.
But, it doesn’t stop there. In addition to the compatibility with an iPhone, Ford announced a new extension to the MoDe:Link app for the smartwatch would bring all of the real-time data to a person’s wrist.
A user with a smartwatch can then activate a feature such as “no sweat” mode, which, based on the rider’s heart rate, can increase electric pedal assist to ensure a rider does not break a sweat. So, for those bike riders who have the issue of showing up to work with a dampened shirt, there’s an app for that.
Williams said because of the mass usage of applications that track health and fitness, it was a no-brainer for Ford to implement something similar.
“I think it really parallels societal trends,” he said. ” Five, 10 years ago, this isn’t something that would necessarily be on someone’s consciousness and now it is. Since it is, it becomes something you immediately start to prioritize.”
There’s more. Ford also announced that the wearable device comes with safety notifications.
A hazard such as a pothole can trigger the handlebars to vibrate and the smartwatch to beep as a warning signal.
The unveiling comes just three months after the company introduced both the Mode:Me and Mode:Pro eBikes, models intended for commuters and delivery services, respectively. With the MoDe:Flex, Ford is diving into a third consumer base: The “bike enthusiast.”
By presenting a model for the commuter, the courier and for the person who Williams said, “sees a bike as part of their lifestyle,” he believes Ford has supplied three distinct solutions for those using a bike for transportation.
In addition, the devices are all fitted with a motor and battery and can be stored in the back of any vehicle.
“We have learned a lot in the past six months, and now are ready to put insights into action,” Mark Field, Ford president and CEO said in a Ford Motor Company press release.
Those insights being acted upon, are a trio of eBikes that offer a connectivity with smartphones that Williams said no other bikes provide.
The MoDe:Flex also appears to further highlight the company’s continual push towards not just four-wheel transportation.
“We’re looking at everything,” Williams said, when referencing the eBike prototypes. “This is an open experiment and we’re looking at all different (consumer) options.”
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