The Word 'Driver' may Soon Fade from Your Dictionary Starting 2021; At Least That's What Ford is Trying to Say
By Anita ValenciaNo one to neither press the brake pedal nor steer the wheel.
It seems that Tesla's success in making autopilot project has inspired other established automakers including Ford.
Ford has been investing a huge amount of money to fund the research and development for self-driving cars. The bold claim says that the fully autonomous vehicles will be ready in 2021.
Ford self-driving car strategy
Ford will not sell the autonomous car for private use at first but it will be deployed as commercial mobility service. BBC spoke to Ford's president Mark Fields and obtained some answers on what to expect in 2021. The self-driving cars might work like a taxi or ride-hailing program like Uber instead of selling directly to the consumers.
In a separate statement, the CEO claimed that Ford is becoming a mobility company instead of just an automaker. Describing the self-driving car in one concise sentence, TechCrunch explained that this car will 'lack steering wheels, brake or gas pedals'. It will provide level 4 self-driving that no longer need a human to take control of, which simply means, all are passengers in the car and no driver.
Self-driving cars will bring huge benefits for the elderly and even for those who can't drive. This technology will also remove human error in the driving process - which means, less road accidents. According to researchers at Georgia Tech, who analyzed driverless vehicle performance, the advanced technology will make it possible for the car to be fully in control with less accident rate, as reported by University Herald.
However, according to Ford, these autonomous cars still give humans the control to drive and it only work 'to assist' drivers with the driving functions.
The company stressed that the cars will mostly be used in urban areas, for instance, for mass transit, and not for personal transportation replacement. At least not in five years time since it is worth to note that there will be thousands of regulatory changes before all passengers can get inside, eat burgers with their two hands and enjoy the ride.
