Ford has an ambitious dream and if all goes as planned, the automobile manufacturer will be producing cars without steering wheels and pedals by 2021.
Self-driving or autonomous driving is what most manufacturers are aiming to achieve at the moment. It isn’t as easy as it sounds though because Tesla the electric car maker who ushered in autonomous mode is already being bombarded with complaints. A couple of accidents in recent times were blamed on the car’s inefficiency. With time, we expect new security measures and regulations to be in place to protect both the passenger and the companies who make them.
Ford is going to take some time before rolling out the feature. The company’s top executives believe that by 2021 they will be able to deliver on their promise. The idea is to introduce ride sharing services using electric, autonomous cars. It will reduce the number of vehicles on road and give passengers a comfortable environment where they can simply relax until they reach their destination.
“Our idea is to bring the autonomous technology to the masses. Providing it to the luxury segment could be a much easier proposition but by making it on a massive scale, we can contribute our share to improve safety and to solve environmental challenges. Instead of trying to make an expensive model that only the rich could afford, we are aiming to create self-driving cars for hire. It is cost efficient and will soon lead to individual cars being equipped with the technology,” said CEO Mark Fields.
The new self-driving car is scheduled to be built in the Palo Alto facility. Ford has partnered with some of the prominent tech companies in the world. They will play a significant role in supplying the automobile manufacturer with advanced technologies like 3D sensor, LiDAR, radar and camera sensors. Making a perfect autonomous vehicle requires a lot of investment and time spent in research. Ford is about to take a big leap and it might lead every other auto company into the future we dream of.
According to Ford, the company’s cars will achieve a rating of 4. The maximum rating provided by the society of automotive engineers is 5. Google has already been researching cars without pedals and steering wheels. Buyers may have multiple models which supports self-driving by the year 2020. The time when you could sit back and relax while the car takes you around is almost here.
And removing all the door locks too. Damn!