Skip to main content

Ford reveals the vehicle destined for its autonomous-car services

A Fourth-Generation Self-Driving Test Vehicle from Ford and Argo AI | Innovation | Ford

Ford has unveiled its fourth-generation autonomous test vehicle as it moves toward the launch of commercial services using the technology.

Recommended Videos

Up to now, it has been using a modified Fusion Hybrid sedan to test its autonomous technology, but the company is switching to a Ford Escape Hybrid SUV with a view to using the vehicle for services such as ridesharing or delivery.

“With our fourth-generation test vehicle, we have everything we need from a vehicle to stand up our self-driving service,” the U.S. automaker said in a blog post announcing its latest move in the autonomous-car space. “Everything we learn while using them can be channeled directly into our self-driving service as soon as it starts serving customers.”

Ford’s autonomous Escape vehicle features an upgraded sensing suite with more advanced lidar, higher resolution cameras, and improved radar sensors.

Of course, to ensure that the sensing suite can “see” the world clearly, it has to be designed in a way to deflect bugs and dirt, and also include a self-cleaning system for when deflection efforts fail. Ford says its engineers have made significant improvements in this area with the use of concealed forced-air cleaning chambers that surround the camera lenses and lidar sensors, and by adding more spray nozzles with greater pressure for faster cleaning.

The autonomous Escape Hybrid also comes with increased electrification capability for more efficient power delivery to the vehicle’s enhanced computing systems.

Ford will put its new vehicle on the road this month, though it will also continue to conduct testing using its existing fleet of 100 or so Fusion Hybrid vehicles.

The Michigan-based car giant plans to launch commercial services in 2022, a year later than originally planned due to disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Ford invested $1 billion in self-driving specialist Argo AI in 2017 to help it realize its ambition of launching autonomous services. The company has already conducted trials in Miami, Florida, using its self-driving cars for delivery services in partnership with Postmates.

Market leader Waymo, which emerged from Google’s long-running self-driving program, has been trialing ridesharing services using autonomous Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivans in parts of Phoenix, Arizona, since 2018, with some of its vehicles operating without a backup driver behind the wheel.

Trevor Mogg
Contributing Editor
Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…
Are self-driving cars the death of car ownership?
Tesla Cybercab at night

Self-driving cars are coming. It remains to be seen how long that will take. Plenty of vehicles can more or less drive themselves on highways, but for now, they still can't completely reliably drive themselves on all streets, in all conditions, taking into account all different variables. One thing is clear, though: the tech industry sees autonomous driving as the future of personal transportation, and they're spending billions to reach that goal.

But what happens when we get there? Tesla made headlines for not only announcing its new Cybercab fully autonomous vehicle, but simultaneously claiming that customers will be able to buy one. That's right, at least if Tesla is to be believed, the Cybercab doesn't necessarily represent Tesla building its own Uber-killing fleet of self-driving cars, but instead giving people the ownership over the self-driving car industry.

Read more
Uber to bring robotaxis to its ridesharing app via Cruise deal
A passenger getting into a Cruise robotaxi.

Uber and autonomous car specialist Cruise are teaming up to offer robotaxi rides starting as early as next year.

Ridesharing giant Uber announced the multiyear partnership on Thursday, saying it will use Cruise’s modified Chevy Bolt vehicles for the service.

Read more
Waymo robotaxi attacked and set on fire in San Francisco
Waymo Jaguar I-Pace electric SUV

A Waymo self-driving car was set upon by vandals in San Francisco on Saturday evening.

According to footage and eyewitness reports of the incident, the attackers graffitied the car before smashing its windows and throwing fireworks inside. The vehicle then caught fire and burned before fire crews arrived to extinguish the blaze.

Read more