Several ride-sharing services have popped up around the world. One of these is the Chariot service which is based in San Francisco.
This service was one that was created to compete with the likes of the giants that are Uber and Lyft in this market, but it needed to have the support and backing of a large automaker in order to become more successful and expand beyond its original location. Thankfully, an automaker did take an interest in this company to help create the expansion needed.
Ford Steps in and Buys Chariot
In 2016, Ford purchased Chariot to give its portfolio something that was an expansion beyond making vehicles. The idea of this purchase was to help expand toward becoming a true mobility company and offer the ride-hailing needed to ensure the continued success of operations for Chariot and expand the ability of this service to meet the needs of people in large cities. For a couple of years, Chariot was successful and gave rides to many in the US and the UK that needed it who didn’t want to use Lyft or Uber for their ride.
The Ride is Over
Recently, Ford announced that Chariot will cease operations by the end of March. This means only a couple more months of riding for those who have enjoyed this service for the past few years. The announcement was made in a blog post on the Chariot website and is an unfortunate step backward for Ford. The Ford Motor Company has been looking for a way to be the mobility company of choice, but it seems they have to cut this area of operation for the near future at least.
More Unfortunate News for Ford
Not only will Ford end the operations of Chariot in March, but there will also be plant closures and discontinued vehicle lines from Ford in Europe. While there weren’t any plant closures by Ford in the US when they announced the deletion of sedans from their lineup, it appears the global market, Europe especially will take a hit when it comes to the Ford models that are offered. The goal of these closures will be to turn around the latest results and make it possible for the brand to achieve the profit margins desired. Unfortunately, this means Ford could be set back when it comes to the mobility efforts previously made by the brand.
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