Ford introduces ‘Guard Mode’ to help Transit owners protect their property

Ford Transit owners can now receive an extra layer of protection for their vehicle and its contents via a new ‘Guard Mode’.

The new service connects to an owner’s van through a smartphone app. When turned on, – for example outside of business hours or when leaving the van unattended during the working day – the app will send a notification if someone enters the vehicle, opens the bonnet or load bay, or starts the engine.

While Guard Mode is active, an alert will still be sent if the van is opened or started using a key, which can help tackle the issue of vehicles being taken using stolen or cloned keys.

Guard Mode is built into the existing FordPass Pro app, and users can see a record of when the vehicle was accessed, what triggered alarms and when they were set off, and the vehicle’s last known location.

Mark Harvey, director of enterprise connectivity at Ford of Europe, said: “Our vans help keep our customers moving and the tools inside keep them working.

“FordPass Pro and Guard Mode help owners protect their vehicles – and their businesses – by keeping them one step ahead of the criminals. And this is just the start. As all new vehicles now come connected, we see huge potential in developing additional security features to help our customers’ businesses thrive.”

Ford has recently introduced ‘over the air’ updates to its vehicles, and this will be the first feature to be activated in such a way. This technology is becoming increasingly popular with car manufacturers, because it allows vehicle updates to be sent remotely, allowing owners to upgrade and update their vehicle while it sits outside their home.