Ford Promises Level 4 Autonomous Cars By 2021
Ford took the autonomous car driving world by surprise when it announced that it should have fully autonomous cars on the road by 2021. To be clear, the surprise is not that Ford is getting into the self-driving car arena, a car company of its size cannot afford not to, but the fact that it is leapfrogging the competition and going straight for Level 4 cars.
Level 4 cars, as defined by the Society of Automative Engineers, are vehicles that do not need any kind of human intervention is any situation. In fact, these cars do not have any steering wheels or driver input mechanisms whatsoever.
Ford has joined Google as the other big company that insists on Level 4 cars being the only viable option and everything else a compromise. So what does Ford’s announcement mean for the future of self-driving cars?
It is a big deal. Google might claim that its software is ready for deployment in cars already but it does not have any partnership with automakers to build those cars. Making hardware, especially cars, is not something that can be learned by companies overnight. It requires the development of set processes and putting in place factories that could take years to operate optimally.
Also, even if Google or Uber or any other technology company were to acquire a car maker there is no guarantee that the transition will be smooth. A much smaller example is how software companies like Microsoft and Google tried to make their own phones but never found the success they were after.
Ford, on the other hand, is a storied car maker with decades of experience in making a world class product. It is also a company that has seen dropping sales in its passenger car division. Ford currently remains profitable thanks to its trucks and thus has the least amount to lose (and most to gain) by adopting a superior technology than other competitors.
Ford has also been styling itself as a ‘technology’ company rather than just a car maker and shown some impressive development of in-car software. It remains to be seen though whether the company has the necessary expertise to build a fool-proof autonomous driving software.
This announcement from Ford will also force the hand of other car makers who have now been clamoring for Level 2 and Level 3 cars only. GM, for example, is set to trial self-driving cars with Lyft by as early as next year but those cars will need a driver sitting behind the wheel for emergencies.
There is no way that GM will let Ford develop such a big technological advantage and will have to develop its own line of self-driving cars.
Google, which has been trying to find car manufacturers for its software, may also have better luck negotiating with companies. Hyundai, for example, is one large car manufacturer that is said to be interested in building real world ‘Google Cars’.
Ford has set the cat among the pigeons by becoming the first company to break ranks with other traditional automakers. It has raised the stakes and ensured that everyone else will have to follow suit.
