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Ford Will Test Self-Driving Cars in California in 2016
Ford Motor Co. says it will begin on-road tests of its self-driving Fusion Hybrid sedan in California in 2016 after joining the state’s autonomous vehicle testing program.
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Ford Motor Co. says it will begin on-road tests of its self-driving Fusion Hybrid sedan in California in 2016 after joining the state’s autonomous vehicle testing program.
Ford has been developing autonomous-driving technology for 10 years and introduced the Fusion test vehicle in 2013. The car has been used at Ford facilities in Michigan and last month at the University of Michigan’s new Mcity proving ground in Ann Arbor.
California testing will be coordinated through Ford’s new Research and Innovation Center in Palo Alto. Opened in January with 15 staffers, it currently houses more than 100 engineers, researchers and scientists. Ford notes that 80% of the facility’s employees came from the tech sector rather than Ford itself.
The center is conducting work on virtual test drives, sensor integration, camera-based pedestrian detection and a GPS-based tracking system to help improve the efficiency of healthcare and medication deliveries in rural Africa.
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