According to Chief Executive Officer Jim Farley, Ford Motor Co. will provide technology in the US in just two years that will let drivers take their hands off the wheel and their eyes off the road.
In an interview with Bloomberg TV’s David Westin on May 31, Farley stated, “We’re getting really close.” “We can do it fairly regularly now with a prototype, but the next step forward will be to do it in a way that is cost-effective.”
According to Farley, Ford can advance fast enough to begin selling the capability in 2026, potentially making it the first mass-market vehicle brand to provide what engineers refer to as Level 3 autonomy.
In those situations, the car assumes control of the driving duties, allowing the driver to focus on other things.
“In a few years, level 3 autonomy will enable you to take your hands off the wheel on a highway, turning your car into an office,” stated Farley. “You could conduct a conference call and various other activities.”
Currently available on Ford and other cars, such as General Motors Co., hands-free driving features rely on eye tracking technology to ensure the driver’s attention is on the road ahead. Following its involvement in several tragic collisions, US safety inspectors are presently looking into Ford’s BlueCruise technology. Federal officials are also looking into crashes involving semi-autonomous systems made by companies like Tesla Inc. and others.
Less than two years had passed since Ford closed Argo AI, its autonomous subsidiary, claiming that complete self-driving technology was too far off. This is when Farley made his prediction.
In the US, Mercedes-Benz started selling an eyes-off option late last year, but it can only be used on freeways with prior approval and at speeds under 40 mph.
Farley proposed that Ford’s system may run on the highway at up to 80 mph (128 kph), but only in clear skies.
Farley remarked, “We only think we can do it on sunny days.” “Traveling at eighty miles per hour is challenging due to heavy rain and other factors.”
Ford wants to offer its drivers subscription fees to features like BlueCruise in order to make recurring money. According to Farley, the boom and bust cycles in the auto industry are being mitigated by those high-margin software services.
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