Ford and Lincoln Unveil Updated Connected Car Services

Ford and its luxury brand Lincoln are enabling customers to access apps and services in their vehicles through a new integrated native experience.

Drivers will also be able to do so with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, the company said in a Monday (Jan. 22) press release.

“From the moment customers enter a vehicle with a Ford or Lincoln Digital Experience, their vehicle becomes a personalized experience, with apps and content easily displayed front and center to help make time behind the wheel more enjoyable, even when parked,” the company said in the release.

The Lincoln Digital Experience is making its debut on the 2024 Lincoln Nautilus, according to the release. The first Ford Digital Experience has not yet been announced.

The driver can access the system through a touchscreen control panel and buttons on the steering wheel, the release said. On the Nautilus, a 48-inch display shows information, apps and services.

Drivers can place apps and services where they want them on the screen and can see information like media, weather and fuel economy via widgets, per the release.

“This helps drivers keep their eyes up and out to look at the road ahead, while providing the custom information they desire,” Ford said in the release.

Customers can also establish profiles for each driver so that their preferences appear when they enter the vehicle, according to the release. These customizable preferences include apps, contacts, favorite destinations, and the positions of the seating, steering wheel and mirrors.

The rollout also features integrated Google Maps; the option to use Google Assistant or Alexa Built-In as a voice assistant; and the ability to download entertainment apps so that content is always available in the vehicle, regardless of whether a smartphone is connected, the release said.

Compared to earlier Ford and Lincoln infotainment systems, the new version features five-times-faster main processing, four times the memory and eight times the storage, per the release.

“The Ford and Lincoln Digital Experience represents a step forward in Ford’s approach to design and development of in-vehicle infotainment systems,” the company said in the release. “The company is developing more of the software in-house to deliver a higher velocity of updates and improvements.”

Ford reported in August that it has more than 550,000 paid software and service subscribers, with Ford Pro commercial customers accounting for more than 80% of them.

As the number of connected vehicles on the road continues to grow, developers are producing tools that serve a variety of uses cases for consumers, commercial drivers and fleet managers alike, according to “Reshaping Global Business With Connected Vehicles,” a PYMNTS Intelligence and American Express collaboration.