Investor-magnet start-ups and flashy Silicon Valley initiatives grab headlines in the driverless-car business, but figures show that Ford is out front when it comes to developing and manufacturing self-driving cars.
Figures from market research firm Navigant show that Ford is ahead of both established and start-up companies in the highly competitive market, beating Volkswagen, GM, Tesla, Waymo, Uber, and Renault.Navigant says Ford is tops in both strategy and the execution of bringing autonomous vehicles to market.
Experts say human error is the leading cause of traffic accidents, accounting for thousands of injuries and fatalities every year.The rapid evolution of computer power and sensory technology have converged to suggest a solution: Let cars drive themselves.Driver-free driving promises to reduce congestion, limit injuries, and lead to a great reduction in accident-related fatalities.
Navigant rated autonomous-vehicle initiatives according to 10 criteria, including productization strategy, technology, production plans, product capabilities, and the staying power of the vendor.These criteria landed Ford the top spot in the ratings.
A 113-year veteran of the automobile industry, Ford has made a substantial investment in autonomous tech.The company has been testing a fleet of autonomous Fusion hybrid cars, both on test tracks and on public roads, since 2013.And that is just part of the company's commitment to the nascent technology.
Ford has also invested in Argo AI, which is exploring the confluence of artificial intelligence and computer vision.Ford's investment in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, firm is expected to surpass $1 billion over the next five years.
Ford plans to bring fully self-driving cards to market by 2021.The plan calls for Ford to offer its first cars in mobility services such as ride-sharing.The automaker's Smart Mobility LLC subsidiary is hard at work drawing up specs for the cars it will need and a strategy for commercializing the project.
Uber, Waymo, and Tesla are among the companies making the most progress in making self-driving cars a reality.All three companies are currently testing autonomous vehicles on public roadways.
Analysts say self-driving cars still face significant R&D challenges, including improved failsafe systems to allow human drivers to gain control of the vehicle smoothly when necessary.