Bloomberg, 9-15-2016 -- Ford Motor Co. intends to start selling driverless cars to the public by about 2025, its chief executive officer said.
The goal is to lower costs enough to make autonomous vehicles affordable to millions of people, CEO Mark Fields said in a speech Monday at company headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan. After starting with sales of robot taxis to ride-hailing services by 2021, “around mid-decade we’ll make vehicles available for people to purchase for themselves,” he said.
“We’re dedicated to putting autonomous vehicles on the road for millions of people, not just those who can afford luxury cars,” Fields said.
Automation Era
“We believe this next decade is really going to be defined by the automation of the automobile,” Fields told reporters after his speech, adding that he’ll offer a more detailed forecast of the autonomous future at Ford’s investor meeting Wednesday.
The robot cars eventually offered to consumers will be completely reworked in ways that will let their occupants enjoy entertainment or conduct business, he told reporters.
“Think about all the things you can do when you don’t have to be focused on driving,” Fields said. “You can design lots of things, using the interior for a lot of different use cases.”
Ford rose 2.6 percent to close at $12.70 in New York, as the broader market rallied. The shares have declined 9.9 percent this year.