Ford CEO describes plans for 2021 fully automated car

[Jeff N]

Ford’s Road to Full Autonomy

By Mark Fields
Ford President/CEO

Today is a milestone moment in Ford’s history

We’re announcing our intent to have fully autonomous vehicles in commercial operation for a ride-hailing or ride-sharing service beginning in 2021. This is significant. Ford will be mass producing vehicles capable of driving fully autonomously within five years. No steering wheel. No gas pedals. No brake pedals. A driver will not be required.

....

 

[Jeff N]

Okay, well they had a presentation streamed to YouTube that seems to be over now. Only 155 people viewed it maybe because almost nobody knew it was going to happen...

Here's the Ford PR with links to the 2pm Eastern event and details for an upcoming investors call later today on the same topic at 4pm Eastern:

Ford Motor Company to host briefing for the Investment Community on Ford Smart Mobility

 

[Jeff N]

Thirty minute video of the announcement earlier in Silicon Valley is now available for playback.

 

[habanero69]

I know where they can get some batteries they're gonna need.

 

[Jeff N]

I just finished watching the above video. It's mostly fluff but there is some mildly interesting detail between the 20 and 27 minute range.

Full media press release is here:

Ford Targets Fully Autonomous Vehicle for Ride Sharing in 2021; Invests in New Tech Companies, Doubles Silicon Valley Team | Ford Media Center

 

[3Victoria]

Well, they have set a timetable and expectations, let's see if they can deliver.

 

[Tam]

It is quite informative:

Tesla doesn't explain SAE levels but Ford does.

Ford says it aims for SAE level 4 or 5 where there's no need for steering wheels nor pedals nor drivers anymore.

Ford still provides driver assisting features but that's a different pathway.

This team believes the difficulty of hand-over procedure in Level 3 where a driver is still required to monitor and take over at any moment, so the team concentrates on skipping it and jumps to Level 4 testing instead (largest test fleet of SAE level 4 by the end of this year.)

It does not want to rely on out-sourcing so it has an in-house team for complete autonomous vehicles (Same as Tesla's announcement.)

Unlike Tesla, it says LIDAR is a must so it invests in its manufacturer Velodyne to mass produce cheaper versions (Current version costs about $75,000 each.)

It doesn't forget why it educates us all these technical issues: Money.

It will mass produce for commercial use (hailing services, deliveries...) first to maximize revenues then for personal use in later years (unlike Tesla who would release latest incremental versions to personal use first.)

 

[NikeWings]

I wonder if they hope that by announcing it now, 300,000 people will give them a deposit and wait years for its arrival?

 

[eSpiritIV]

Sorry to say Ford but delivery services will not buy a hugely expensive autonomous system to deliver packages and people, when they can hire cheap cab drivers and delivery folk to do the work. Mass markets must be first, then later we will get Johnny Cabs!

It is quite informative:
.....

It will mass produce for commercial use (hailing services, deliveries...) first to maximize revenues then for personal use in later years (unlike Tesla who would release latest incremental versions to personal use first.)

 

[Tam]

I wonder if they hope that by announcing it now, 300,000 people will give them a deposit and wait years for its arrival?

Autonomous is a controvesial issue.

Many drivers want to enjoy the art of driving and very much oppose to cede controls to a boring robotic system.

Many drivers still do not know what to make of the system because one death and other crashes are still being reported with Tesla's semi-autonomous system.

It's pretty much science fiction until proven.

 

[Tam]

Sorry to say Ford but delivery services will not buy a hugely expensive autonomous system to deliver packages and people, when they can hire cheap cab drivers and delivery folk to do the work. Mass markets must be first, then later we will get Johnny Cabs!

Ford's effort is in response to the industrializaton trend that uses technology to eliminate human jobs as much as possible even if it means very expensive machinary.

Look at the many lost jobs from:

Licensed Elevator Operators:

Keypunch Operators:

Telephone switchboard operators

Automobile assembly workers

Cashiers:

And so on...

 

[wheelerwbrian]

I think its more than just science fiction. Adoption will be an evolution, but the technology is clearly arriving. Old farts like me and Tam will want to keep driving, although the idea of getting into a car and waking up eight hours away is pretty attractive. Younger will wonder why they need to buy a car, or even get a drivers license, if they can just hail one - sort of like Uber on steroids. Trucking companies will see a way to capitalize their equipment, using it 24-7 -- no more breaks.

Eventually insurance companies will charge rates based on the safety - non-autonomous driving will become more expensive. That's what will be the final driver (pun!).

Sell your airline and trucking stock.

 

[NikeWings]

Autonomous is a controvesial issue.

Many drivers want to enjoy the art of driving and very much oppose to cede controls to a boring robotic system.

Many drivers still do not know what to make of the system because one death and other crashes are still being reported with Tesla's semi-autonomous system.

It's pretty much science fiction until proven.

But its perfectly timed for the ageing boomers who grew up with Ford family wagons. Good foundation of trust to build upon that demographic which is quite sizeble and reluctant to give up the freedom.

 

[BluestarE3]

But its perfectly timed for the ageing boomers who grew up with Ford family wagons. Good foundation of trust to build upon that demographic which is quite sizeble and reluctant to give up the freedom.

Yes, I see the demand for autonomous vehicles not just from millennials who may not care about driving, but also from boomers who, in the coming years, may no longer be able to drive themselves. The latter demographic also has the money to buy new cars and the preference to own their own cars as opposed to relying on ride sharing. So it's not really surprising to see cars manufacturers, even traditional and conservative ones like GM and Ford, announce their intentions to build and sell autonomous vehicles.

 

[RDoc]

Well, IMHO the entire point to fully autonomous driving is that when I go over to my friend Jim's house, I can join everyone else in the third bottle of wine.

 

[kort677]

interesting article from today's WSJ
The Dangers of ‘Self-Driving’ Car Hype

 

[S'toon]

I'd be more impressed if Ford made a commitment to making a decent EV.

 

[theboom1]

Seems like it will be good and useful for the middle of cities if they can get it to work (I have my doubts). Like I said am all for this as long as we still have the option to drive with something like my shadow mode idea. I could maybe see sometime in the distant future it being mandatory to be in autonomous mode in the middle of the city during rush hours though to manage traffic.

 

[Ludus]

Looks like all Tesla vehicles will be technically capable of full level 5 self driving by 2018 (they have the hardware now and the fleet will have the 2 billion miles or so of shadow data needed for the software by then).

Ford's announcement of striving for a much more limited goal three years later than that isn't looking so good.