In 2021, you could ride in a Ford car that has no steering wheel, pedals or accelerator. This is because Ford has released information about availing such a vehicle into the market. According to the company, the upcoming self driving car will be fully autonomous, high volume and it will allow for ride sharing. The company went ahead to state that, the vehicle will not only be available to the luxury customers, but everyone will have a taste of it.
Moreover, it will come without an accelerator, brake pedals or a steering wheel. This means that it will come fully autonomous. The vehicle’s level of autonomy will be at Level 4 on the Automotive Society of Engineers standard for international automated driving. This level is much higher than Mercedes’ Drive Pilot and Tesla’s Autopilot, which fall under level 2.
According to the standard of international automated driving, Level 4 cars are able to drive themselves in several environments such as during slow moving traffic jams or on free way onramps. Instead, the Ford Company has defined its upcoming Level 4 automobile a little differently. According to Ford, its autonomous vehicle will be in a position to perform all the driving tasks in areas that have already been predetermined using a 3D technology of high quality.
Therefore, consumers will not be capable of hailing rides from these vehicles and visit areas of their liking, but only areas that Ford has programmed them to go. This means that consumers will be in a position to enjoy their rides without any driving intervention only in predetermined areas.
In addition, Ford announced that it is investing in Velodyne, which is a renowned manufacturer of ranging sensor and light detection (LiDAR) with headquarters in Silicon Valley. For a long time, LiDAR has been viewed as an important component in fully autonomous vehicles. Moreover, Ford acquired SAIPS, which is an Israeli company that specializes in deep computer learning and AI. The pieces of technology drawn from these companies will assist the upcoming Ford vehicles to effectively handle all situations they might come across.
Another exclusive agreement between Nirenberg Neuroscience LLC and Ford has been announced. The agreement seeks to see the autonomous Ford cars fitted with features that are able to identify objects they come across on the road. Ford has also taken time to invest in Civil Maps, which is a company based in Berkeley pioneering the 3D mapping technology. This is the technology that will be used to rate the upcoming vehicle as a Level 4.
Although 2021 seems far, consumers need to be a little more patient. It should also be noted that, Ford has been working to avail these autonomous vehicles on to the market for over 10 years. Additionally, there is still much to be accomplished in the coming five years. For example, by the end of 2016, the company will be having the largest test fleet of autonomous vehicles ever. According to reports, there will be approximately 30 autonomous Fusion Hybrid sedans being tested in Arizona, Michigan and California. In addition to the company’s expansion of tech investments and autonomous vehicles, it is also looking to double its Palo Alto campus’ size.
Although Ford has promised the new autonomous vehicle in five years, it is yet to decide the platform it will ride on. Similarly, Ford is yet to determine whether the new fully autonomous vehicle will be an SUV, hatchback or a Sedan. Moreover, the company is yet to decide whether the vehicle will be gasoline powered, fully electric powertrain or hybrid.
Surprisingly, these are not the only things Ford is uncertain about. It is not certain how it will provide the ride-sharing car to the consumers. Will it be via the FordPass app or another platform for ride-sharing? This clearly shows that there is still plenty of work to be done in the coming five years.
The Ford fully autonomous vehicle will start as a share-ride-only and it has been speculated that the technology cost has gone down. This means that almost anyone will be in a position to purchase one of these rides and it’s only a matter of time before these rides hit the market.
Have a read: 16 Incredible New Technologies You’ll See By 2021
Must watch out this video: Ford goes all in on driverless cars, says 2021 will be the big year
Conclusion
The upcoming fully autonomous vehicle from the Ford motor company should be out by 2021. According to reports, this vehicle will be the best of its kind. The company has collaborated with several other companies to ensure that the new vehicle is packed with the latest technology features and although the company is yet to decide on some important details of the new vehicle, it still has time to do so. The Ford fully autonomous vehicle will not only target luxurious customers, but it will be available for everyone to purchase.
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