Ruth Vann’s Post

So, Ford announced they are dropping the automatic parallel parking feature on future models, because their connected-car data says that people rarely use it. Ford is not the first to take a decision like this, but it will not be the last for Ford and others. A couple of thoughts: Why don't consumers don't use it? Does it reflect that they don't want as much automation as we can give them, that the number of people who have to parallel park on the routine is just too small, or that they aren't getting proper training and are not using it because they don't know how to use it, or are they really even aware it exists? Is Ford's data showing only that it isn't used, but not necessarily why it isn't used? Dropping this feature is not likely to have major impact on its own, but the process behind it is interesting. Using data to determine features like this sounds smart and pragmatic, but what about the consumer who did use it, when they come back for the next car? Plus, who likes it when you buy something and someone says you can't have it anymore because you didn't use it enough for them? I don't think Ford is pulling the feature from existing cars, just not installing it. But will buyers who use it today be annoyed when they come back and can't get it? Decisions like this are a reality in automotive product planning analysis going forward, but I'm curious to see how consumers eventually feel about changes based on reading their in-car behavior. Might be nothing in the end, but I'm curious.

Automakers are racing toward a future where software, not hardware, will define cars. The shift is forcing manufacturers to put computers at the center of vehicle design. Here's how software will continue to change the market, and the way we drive. #MorganStanley #JesseZimmer

Automakers are racing toward a future where software, not hardware, will define cars. The shift is forcing manufacturers to put computers at the center of vehicle design. Here's how software will continue to change the market, and the way we drive.

Automakers are racing toward a future where software, not hardware, will define cars. The shift is forcing manufacturers to put computers at the center of vehicle design. Here's how software will continue to change the market, and the way we drive.

Automakers are racing toward a future where software, not hardware, will define cars. The shift is forcing manufacturers to put computers at the center of vehicle design. Here's how software will continue to change the market, and the way we drive.

Automakers are racing toward a future where software, not hardware, will define cars. The shift is forcing manufacturers to put computers at the center of vehicle design. Here's how software will continue to change the market, and the way we drive.

Automakers are racing toward a future where software, not hardware, will define cars. The shift is forcing manufacturers to put computers at the center of vehicle design. Here's how software will continue to change the market, and the way we drive.

Automakers are racing toward a future where software, not hardware, will define cars. The shift is forcing manufacturers to put computers at the center of vehicle design. Here's how software will continue to change the market, and the way we drive.