In the streets of London will appear "smart" benches Ford Smart Bench, which will allow residents and guests of the UK capital to recharge their gadgets and connect to the Internet.

The project is implemented jointly with the startup Strawberry Energy, which is engaged in the development of technologies for "smart" cities. Earlier this year, Strawberry Energy in London already installed smart shops. As it is now reported, Ford will support the creation of another two dozen such benches.

Sitting on the bench, users will be able to recharge their smartphone, phablet, tablet or other gadget by means of a wired connection. Energy is generated from the solar panel.

In addition, free Wi-Fi access via Wi-Fi technology will be provided in the bench area.

Finally, "smart" benches will be able to collect information about the environmental situation. In particular, it is spoken about measuring the noise level, temperature, humidity and carbon dioxide content in the atmosphere.

Last summer, Ford announced that a specialized center for Ford Smart Mobility Innovation Office was to open in London, the main objective of which would be the development of mobility solutions for Europe. The new London office will be the third research center of the Ford subsidiary of Ford Smart Mobility (already existing in Dearborn and Palo Alto, USA), and will complement the global network of Ford research and innovation centers, including the Research and Innovation Center in Aachen, Germany.