The Ford Motor Company has constantly made efforts to become the most technologically innovative auto house in the world. With its most recent acquirement of the historic Michigan Central Station structure, they plan on using its new Corktown campus in Detroit to operate their new subdivision that’s focused on changing the landscape of transportation: Ford Autonomous Vehicles LLC.
With Ford’s new venture in developing self-driving vehicles, the company plans to heavily advance and elevate the landscape for autonomous Ford cars while creating new transportation solutions in North America. Read on to learn more about Ford Autonomous Vehicles LLC, the future of Ford models, and long-term plans for this exciting venture.
A Successful Trial
One of the most successful examples of Ford’s experimentation with self-driving cars was its test-pilot project featuring a very delicious trial run delivering Domino’s Pizza. In August 2017, Ford and Domino’s joined forces to begin trials on self-driving Ford Fusion Hybrids delivering pizzas to randomly-selected customers in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The experiment allowed for both companies to determine customers’ reactions from having their services automated, and how it affected their overall customer experience. You can learn more by reading our blog about the experiment, here!
The Goal
Ford Autonomous Vehicles LLC will focus production on autonomous vehicle research and advanced engineering, along with development in self-driving systems integration, AV transportation-as-a-service networks, user experience, and business strategies. One of the most notable starting points for Ford was creating a partnership with Argo AI back in 2017, a start-up company headed by two former self-driving engineers from Google and Uber Advanced Technologies, respectively. The company’s staff has decades of experience developing intelligent automated systems, both inside and out of the company, making it a logical partner for Ford Autonomous Vehicles LLC.
Ford’s Commitment
Ford expects to invest up to $4 billion in research and development for its autonomous vehicles, with $1 billion of that already invested in Argo AI. In an official press release, Ford’s CEO, Jim Hackett stated that, “Ford has made tremendous progress across the self-driving value chain— from technology development to business model innovation to the user experience. Now is the right time to consolidate our autonomous driving platform into one team to best position the business for the opportunities ahead.”
The certainty of self-driving vehicles in the future may have started out soft, but firm prospects are being put into place for it to one day become a staple on metropolitan roads. Ford’s ongoing strategy until 2023 will help rethink the vehicle ownership experience, hopefully making autonomous vehicles ubiquitous by that point in time. To learn more about the Ford Autonomous Vehicles LLC, make sure to stay updated with Kentwood Ford for all the latest updates on this exciting time for Ford models.