I had the privilege of attending the Ford Trends Conference in Detroit last week, and I must say – more companies should hold them. There is always this disconnect between brands and consumers: they don’t understand what women need, parents want, or why people aren’t “liking” their well thought-out Facebook posts.
Instead, Ford brings the consumer to them. Opens up their world of automotive, providing a glimpse into the reality of manufacturing, and everything that encompasses it. That includes their headquarters, plants, test tracks, virtual reality, engineering, safety and beyond.
So what does that have to do with parenting you ask?
EVERYTHING. Innovation is changing the world – sometimes for the good, and sometimes for the bad. And it is our responsibility to watch and understand exactly what our children will be experiencing, exposed to, and inheriting. Ford is actually thinking ahead – let me give you a peek inside how:
Ford’s New CEO Mark Fields with Clayton Christensen and Kenneth Cole.
1. Our Kids Will never have to parallel or perpendicular park.
Remember tossing and turning the night before your driver’s test because of parallel parking? Our kids will never experience that anxiety. Just like they wonder what a rotary dial is, they’ll only see videos of parallel parking in gifs on Buzzfeed. Ford’s engineers have taught their vehicles how to do the parking for us. Yes, you are still the driver, so you have to manually run the brake, and shift from reverse to drive, but overall, the car will navigate into the space for you.
Ford’s prototype with automatic parking capabilities.
In an age of economics defined by pendulum swings, austerity squeezes and endless finger-pointing, it’s easy to look back on an earlier age as the good old days. Romanticizing how things used to be, we find comfort and connection in products, brands and experiences that evoke nostalgia. So – will parallel parking now only be seen as a #tbt??? 82% of Americans agree that vintage products have more character than new products. So – why all the changes?
Innovation is a huge component of car building, and safety. Such as, Ford’s drunk driving suit is intended to raise awareness about the dangers involved with impaired driving by limiting an individuals sensations and physical abilities. They also have made better advancements in airbags.They have developed the industry’s first five-row side-curtain airbag for the high-roof, long wheelbase wagon version of the Ford Transit, coming in at 15 feet long and three feet tall. What?
We might not have even had car seats as children, but Ford is proactively looking for ways to keep our children safe on the road. While we can’t make bubble cars to protect our babies from everything in the world, we know that the vehicles they’re riding in are build to withstand most impacts. That’s peace of mind for any parent.
2. Going Green – Sustainability and Cars for the Environment
I bet you didn’t know that Ford is named the #1 ‘green’ brand in the world. Why is this so important, you ask? Because one of the world’s largest manufacturers is being extremely proactive to protect the environment.
Water Conservation
Between 2000 and 2012, Ford pared down water usage in everything from its cooling towers to parts washing to paint operations. The result? A 62 percent reduction in total global water consumption and a savings of 10.6 billion gallons of water. Imagine if ALL large manufacturers did this, and what it would mean for the water concerns of the planet. Oh – didn’t you realize there is a water scarcity and water quality problem going on globally? More than 780 million people live without access to fresh drinking water. And in developing countries – about 90 percent of sewage and 70 percent of industrial waste are discharged into the water sources without treatment. Even right here in the United States, the Navajo population in Arizona have serious water scarcity – right here in our own country! This sparked the 4 Liter Water Challenge. Could you live for 4 days with out 4 liters of water each day? Check it out!
Living Rooftops
I bet you also didn’t know that Ford has a 10-acre sustainable roof.
The 600-acre Dearborn plant has been used for manufacturing since 1917 and employed 100,000 people at its peak as the largest factory complex in the world. But decades of industrial use erased most signs of natural life. In 2004, Ford hired Virginia architect William McDonough, known for his environmentally sensitive designs, to handle the revival. Here is the living proof – literally.
3. Trucks Aren’t Just for The Boys
Gender roles have been big news lately – boys being too feminine, us telling girls not to get dirty. No one ever told me not to play in dirt as a child, and at the tender age of 13, I was driving the farm trucks and tractors. No wonder I grew up loving big trucks (I did own a Hummer!) over small cars. So when we got to see the all new F-150 truck and it’s features – it was probably my favorite part of the conference. Truth be told, these trucks are beautiful. They are intricately constructed to be “built tough.” However, many of the new features should attract more women as well. Let me explain:
LED Spotlights built into the side mirrors. LED Headlamps.
Ok – the farmer in me immediately was excited because now you could go deer spotting WITHOUT a spotlight! What? You didn’t go deer spotting as a child? It’s when you go driving after dinner in the dark around all the fields in the country with a spotlight trying to see where the deer (aka bucks) are hiding. There is nothing like shining the light into the field to come across a 10-point!
We can see how the spotlights can be useful for the average construction worker – but what about women? Ok – awesome, so now we have a light to check our hair and makeup before running into the bar. How about safety. Walking to your truck at night? I am pretty sure shining a huge spotlight out into the parking lot will deter a lot of predators. Need light to walk into the house at night carrying groceries? No problem.
Meanwhile, LED means you are using half the energy required of standard halogen headlamps AND they’re expected to last the LIFETIME of the truck. Yes. now padiddles will be obsolete as well!
Remote-controlled Tailgates and hidden steps.
That’s right. Now F-150s have a push-button tailgate, so you no longer have to lower it manually when your hands are full. I admit, I laughed when I first saw these – what country boy is going to care about that really? Do you know how many truck beds I’ve had to jump up into in my lifetime? Aren’t we making our future generations a little soft by allowing doing the lifting for them, literally?
But think of it for the efficiency – now you don’t have to put down the groceries or the stroller to open the tailgate – just like you don’t have to in luxury Mercedes. Luxury options are becoming standard in Ford vehicles. You don’t HAVE to use it, but it’s now available – just in case.
They also have updated the steps and handle bar to hide INSIDE the tailgate, so it’s not in the way of throwing things into the truck bed, or sweeping it out. Now, think of how much easier it will be to climb into after a couple drinks at that Toby Keith concert. This way, you ladies won’t have to pull a ‘Britney’ crawling in either.
4. Robotic cars – what’s a stick shift?
I learned how to drive on a stick shift, a manual, if you will. Today, these are a rare vehicle to find. When I bought my Hummer, I even asked if I could get it as a stick shift, and they advised me against it, as no one would ever buy it from me if I went to sell it because no one drives a stick anymore. So, imagine my excitement when we were lucky enough to test drive the Ford Fusion (which still comes in a manual!), and zip it around the corners and roads. Needless to say, the crowds enjoyed watching us ladies driving the sticks on the track!
Now, we’ve even replaced the driver – yes, robotic cars are real. Ok – so you might not see flying cars next month (mostly because we the consumer aren’t ready for them yet), but you will start to see more robotic cars and vehicles. Remember the last time you took the tram at the airport? No driver. It’s only a matter of time before more are replaced this way. Ford is working on perfecting the robotic vehicle, which is powered by a robot, but overseen by a human dispatcher. We had the chance to ride in one on an open track – that means no rails, so curbs – just wide open roads. Crazy, right?
Will our children lose our love of driving?
I have always loved driving. Ever since my uncles let me drive the farm truck from age 13, I felt special. I love the feel of pushing the throttle, shifting gears on a highway, and belting out songs at the top of your lungs as your hair swishes around from the open air sunroof. I remember going to see car shows with my dad as a kid. There was seriously something cool about seeing all those hard metal beasts polished to perfection. Knowing damn well they were the epitome of power.
It makes me wonder – will Maximo grow up the same? Already being a city kid, he’ll lose some of the fun of chasing animals through the fields, or corralling cattle into the pastures. But the one thing every kid looks forward to is turning 16 (or is it 15 now?) and getting that learning permit. Will this be a thing of the past? I guess maybe I better look into buying a 1950s Ford Mustang sooner than later – just in case!
Some Other Trends From Ford in 2014
Oh, did I mention they just revealed a brand new Edge?
Who can write a better review about this vehicle than the NY Times. See all the details of this beautifully constructed vehicle here.
Female Frontier
Ford is aware that women are the decision makers, and making a majority of the purchases these days. For the first time ever, female drivers outnumber males – and this trend is projected to continue. That means they better have some pretty pink mirrors, right? Well, the glass ceiling above women may not have shattered yet, but the spotlight is shining on it. With women making up 9.7% of the world’s billionaire’s and 12% of Forbes’ 2013 list of the World’s Most Powerful People, there is a definite shift in power going on.
PowerWheels Introduces the F-150
There’s a new truck on the road- and it’s for the little people. Check out these new F-150 models – equipt with ipod connectors and real radios. Man. To be a kid these days! I remember my own BigFoot 4×4 (yes that’s right – this girl drove a big blue truck and not a convertible Barbie mobile!) and how show it was to take on the hills in the yard. This truck? it’s going to terrorize mother’s flower gardens nationwide. Hide Yo Flowers, Hide Yo Gardens!
