Ford to launch fleet of robot taxis and delivery vehicles across Washington

Ford is set to unveil a fleet of self driving cars in Washington.

The firm’s driverless fleet that will carry customers and make deliveries for businesses across all corners of the nation’s capital.

It is part of Ford’s $4bn push into self driving vehicles.

Scroll down for video Ford’s driverless fleet will carry customers and make deliveries for businesses across all corners of the nation’s capital Ford’s driverless fleet will carry customers and make deliveries for businesses across all corners of the nation’s capital FORD’S $4BN SELF DRIVING CAR GAMBLE

Ford said it would invest $4 billion through 2023 in its newly formed autonomous vehicle unit, Ford Autonomous Vehicles, as it looks to produce self-driving cars in the next three years.

The No. 2 U.S. automaker said the new unit would include self-driving systems integration, autonomous vehicle research and advanced engineering.

It will go up against Google parent Alphabet’s Waymo, Uber, Tesla and doxens of other into the lucrative market.

Ford will begin testing self-driving cars in the District early next year and plans to launch commercially in Washington, Miami and other unnamed cities starting in 2021.’We’ll be working with local officials in Washington, D.C., to ensure that we test our self-driving vehicles in all eight of the district’s wards — and eventually operate business pilot programs in all eight wards as well — as we work toward deployment of a commercial service in 2021, said Sherif Marakby, president and chief executive of Ford Autonomous Vehicles.

Ford said local politician’s openness to driverless car was key to the decision to launch the first service there. ‘This technology holds the potential to change our world far beyond our nation’s capital, but D.C. is an ideal place to continue building the foundation for a great service — one that helps free up our roads, ease congestion and improve […]

Continue reading – Ford set to launch fleet of robot taxis and delivery vehicles across Washington in $4bn bid to take on Google and Uber