With the technology in place, drivers can get out of their cars in a certain area and then simply use an app to start the automatic parking process. They can also use the app to call their cars back to the particular area when it is time to leave. Although the system requires infrastructure to operate, this does not mean that it can only be used for future parking spaces: Bosch sensors can be retroactively installed in old buildings and structures. “Automated parking solutions bring value to garage owners by making more efficient use of spaces in a parking garage,” reads Ford’s announcement. “With automatic valet parking, the same space can accommodate up to 20 percent more cars.”
Bosch has been working on parking solutions for years and even partnered with Daimler for a similar experiment with Mercedes-Benz cars in Stuttgart back in 2017. Local authorities in Stuttgart approved the automatic parking system in 2019, allowing Bosch and Daimler to fully launch the technology, However, the Ford partnership shows that the solution can work with a wide variety of cars, even if they are non-luxury models.
