Can Ford’s Self-Driving Car Business Improve Austin’s Traffic Woes?

Austin — There are so many great things about working from home. Spending all day with your pets is up there, but not having to commute is probably the best. It’s particularly nice to avoid commuting by car in a city like Austin, TX, that’s notorious for its heavy traffic. The situation is so bad … Continue reading “Can Ford’s Self-Driving Car Business Improve Austin’s Traffic Woes?”

Ford, Retreating From Bold Timeline, Buys Quantum Signal for AV Tech

Back in 2016, Ford’s then-CEO Mark Fields fired a shot across the bow when he made a daring pledge. The big automaker would deploy fully autonomous fleet vehicles as part of a ride-sharing or ride-hailing service by 2021, when it would also be mass-producing such vehicles, he said. Earlier this year, though, current Ford CEO … Continue reading “Ford, Retreating From Bold Timeline, Buys Quantum Signal for AV Tech”

Carnegie Mellon, Argo AI Form $15M Self-Driving Car Research Center

Carnegie Mellon University this week announced a five-year research partnership with Argo AI that will focus on advanced perception and decision-making algorithms for autonomous vehicles (AVs). Argo AI, a Pittsburgh-based self-driving car startup whose majority investor is Ford (NYSE: [[ticker:F]]), is spending $15 million to fund the effort, which will be called the Carnegie Mellon … Continue reading “Carnegie Mellon, Argo AI Form $15M Self-Driving Car Research Center”

Aurora Ends Affiliation with VW as it Begins Collaboration with FCA

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles has arguably been quieter on the autonomous vehicle front than Ford and GM, but this week marked a significant development for the company. FCA announced it will partner with Aurora, a Bay Area startup developing self-driving technologies. The companies did not disclose the financial terms of the arrangement. Wired reports that the … Continue reading “Aurora Ends Affiliation with VW as it Begins Collaboration with FCA”

Mobility News: Cruise’s New Cash, Tesla’s Pivot to Robotaxis & More

As the mobility industry waits with baited breath to see how Uber’s IPO will play out on Friday, there is plenty of news being made elsewhere in the sector. Cruise scored another massive investment, Toyota AI Ventures opened a new fund, scooters continue to rev up, and more. Read on for details. —Our own Bernadette … Continue reading “Mobility News: Cruise’s New Cash, Tesla’s Pivot to Robotaxis & More”

Ford Mobility News: Self-Driving Car Tests in DC, Avis App Deal

Ford made a couple of announcements this week regarding mobility and its efforts to get self-driving cars on the road. According to a blog post published Monday by Sherif Marakby, CEO of Ford’s autonomous vehicle division, the automaker will expand testing of driverless cars to Washington, DC. “Not only do self-driving vehicles need to operate … Continue reading “Ford Mobility News: Self-Driving Car Tests in DC, Avis App Deal”

As Self-Driving Car Partnerships Multiply, Ford and Lyft Join Forces

For most of its existence, the automotive industry has been secretive, siloed, and steeped in cut-throat competition. However, as autonomous vehicle collaborations proliferate, the old-school approach is quickly falling by the wayside. That was evident in a pair of blog posts published late Tuesday that spelled out a new partnership between Ford and San Francisco-based … Continue reading “As Self-Driving Car Partnerships Multiply, Ford and Lyft Join Forces”

Buckle Up: Driverless Cars Going Full Speed Ahead at Mcity

From the outside, you wouldn’t expect the humble Ford Fusion to contain technology that could upend the global transportation paradigm—until you notice the LIDAR unit whirring on its roof. LIDAR, which stands for Light Detection and Ranging, is a remote sensor technology that uses pulses of light to produce a 3D picture of the surrounding … Continue reading “Buckle Up: Driverless Cars Going Full Speed Ahead at Mcity”

Lyft, NuTonomy Team Up on Self-Driving Cars as Alliances Proliferate

As companies rev up their work on self-driving vehicles, they’re increasingly forming alliances with each other to help deliver on the technology’s potential—and fend off competitors. The latest example is a partnership announced Tuesday between Lyft, the San Francisco-based ride-hailing app company, and NuTonomy, a Boston-based developer of software for driverless vehicles. The research and … Continue reading “Lyft, NuTonomy Team Up on Self-Driving Cars as Alliances Proliferate”

Detroit, Silicon Valley Collaborate on Path to Self-Driving Cars

As the race to get autonomous vehicles on the road revs up, there has been much discussion in the auto industry about who will lead the charge. Because of the new technologies involved in the development of self-driving cars, many initially assumed that Silicon Valley would take the driver’s seat instead of Detroit. But it’s … Continue reading “Detroit, Silicon Valley Collaborate on Path to Self-Driving Cars”