By CRM staff
Toronto, Ontario – April 26, 2019 – In this week’s Autonomous Report, Ford plans on producing 100 self-driving cars by the end of the year, meanwhile Tesla plans on launching robotaxis next year and Waymo newest plant is in Detroit.
Ford’s Big Plans
Ford CEO Jim Hackett announced on Thursday that the company is aiming to have 100 self-driving cars on the road by the end of the year. The OEM announced earlier that it was planning on releasing its self-driving vehicles by 2021. Hackett told investors on its conference call Thursday that the self-driving car tests happening in Washington D.C. and Miami are covering some really challenging areas, which could potentially give them more of an advantage. He said that Ford is focusing on more complex environments rather than just suburban areas, where the roads don’t change that much. Hackett announced a couple of weeks ago that Ford might have underestimated the arrival of self-driving vehicles. While still promising the release date of 2021, he said the vehicles are likely to be geofenced and the application will be narrow because autonomous vehicles are too complex right now.
Tesla’s Robotaxis
Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced that the company is expected to launch its first concept of autonomous robotaxis next year. Musk said that he expects to have more than one million on the road for 2020. How it works is simple. Drivers who own these Tesla vehicles will be able to add their vehicle to a ride-sharing app. Very similar to Uber or Lyft except owners can send their vehicle out autonomously to pick up those who need a ride. Tesla would be taking 25 to 30 percent of the revenue from the trips. Musk said that these vehicle owners who choose to participate in the robotaxi system could earn up to $30,000 a year.
Waymo’s Production Plans
Waymo, the self-driving company under Alphabet’s belt, is setting up in a factory in Detroit, on American Axle and Manufacturing’s campus. Waymo will be partnering up with American Axle and Manufacturing to utilize the existing facility that was used as a sequencing centre for a local parts supplier. They are hoping to move into the factory in a couple of months and begin preparing for Level 4 autonomous vehicle production
