Ford’s new hub, which launched in February, doesn’t sell cars or car accessories. Instead, the showroom space (dubbed “FordHub”) sells the idea that transportation in the future will look completely different from today. As technology advances and consumers come to see the negative impact of fossil fuel usage and the downsides of cars clogging urban streets, transportation options will begin to shift towards greener and more efficient modes.
The FordHub is located in the one-year-old Westfield World Trade Center mall in lower Manhattan. FordGuide experts greet all visitors, who can navigate the space using a personalized HUBCard. Experiences include Mustang over Manhattan, a VR game where you build a Ford Mustang on the top of the Empire State Building, an interactive screen which shows potential mobility problems solved by Ford products (including, but not limited to, cars), and a permanent installation of 5,000 miniature Ford car models which light up to mimic traffic patterns. Ford’s 2017 “Go Further” campaign similarly highlights the company’s innovations beyond automobiles.
