- General
- January 11, 2019
- 5 minutes read
Ford To Close Down On-demand Shuttle Service Chariot By March End
image : Ford Ford has announced it’s shutting down Chariot, the on-demand shuttle service it acquired in 2016 with the…
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| image : Ford |
Ford has announced it’s shutting down Chariot, the on-demand shuttle service it acquired in 2016 with the 25th of January being the last day it’ll operate in the U.K. followed by a halt in the U.S. by the 1st of February.
It says it’s ceasing all Chariot operations across both countries by March end, discontinuing the service it snapped up for a reported $65 million plus in what marked as the first acquisition for Ford ‘Smart Mobility’, the Palo Alto based unit it established in 2016 to grab a hold in growing automotive services like autonomous driving, multi-mode transportation and ride-sharing.
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| image : Ford |
Chariot, a Y Combinator Alum founded in 2014 had raised only $3 million in funding after graduating from the accelerator prior to its acquisition by Ford, It says it has made over 3 million rides for its customers so far and will refund remaining commuter credit balances after it shuts down its service.
It’ll also work closely with enterprise customers on a transition plan and will still make trips booked before the dates of closure in the U.S. and U.K. “In today’s mobility landscape, the wants and needs of customers and cities are changing rapidly. We apologize for the inconvenience this may cause Chariot’s riders and our enterprise customers. We are committed to ensuring our customers are aware of the decision and have time to make alternative transportation arrangements.” The company said in its statement.
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| Ford CEO Jim Hackett
image : Ford
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“We are truly grateful to our commuters, enterprise customers, and partners for your support over the past five years. Chariot was built on a commitment to help reduce congestion, ease the commute and improve quality of life in cities, and since our start, we have provided our customers with more than 3 million rides. In addition, we helped Ford build their mobility business, and their experience with Chariot continues to inform their mobility efforts and design decisions for the future.”
