As part of a six-year agreement that will introduce embedded Google applications and services to users, Ford and Lincoln vehicles will be powered by the Android operating system starting in 2023.
As part of the partnership, Ford and Google said they would build a new joint group called Team Upshift that will be used to develop new user experiences and Android Automotive operating system-powered services.
The two companies have announced that Google Cloud has been selected as their preferred cloud provider by Ford.
The collaboration marks a change for Ford, which has sought to resist third-party businesses such as Google and Apple for years and instead promoted its open source platform.
Android Automotive OS is modelled on the open-source smartphone Linux operating system. But Google changed it instead of operating smartphones and tablets so it could be used in vehicles.
David McClelland, Vice President of Strategy and Partnerships, said Google’s collaboration “turbocharges” its more recent efforts and investments in building up its data analytics team and gaining tech expertise.
“We both believe that an innovation powerhouse will be established by the relationship between Google and Ford,” McClelland said. “It will speed up the modernization of our Ford business and, most importantly, it will allow us to exceed the expectations of our clients.”