Ford and Google are entering into a six-year deal, which the automaker said is worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
The tie-up will make Google responsible for much of the automaker’s growing in-vehicle connectivity, as well as cloud computing and other technology services.
Google is expected to assist Ford with everything from in-car infotainment systems and remote, or over-the-air, updates to using artificial intelligence.
Google will also provide cloud computing and other technology services.
The partnership announced Monday is designed to streamline Ford’s operations and accelerate an ongoing $11 billion restructuring plan.
It marks a major shift for the automaker, which has spent hundreds of millions of dollars annually in recent years to develop and maintain such systems.
It will also give Google a new marquee customer for its cloud computing technology, which lags behind rivals Amazon and Microsoft in market share, and shows how Google is willing to use assets such as its mobile dominance to help build its cloud business.
Under the deal, Ford and Lincoln vehicles will sport Android, the Google Assistant, Google Maps and Google Play starting in 2023, and Google’s cloud will enable other types of services.
Google will also help Ford use artificial intelligence in areas such as supply chain logistics and manufacturing, the companies said.
