Ford Adds Texas to Autonomous Vehicle Plans

Ford Motor Co. is adding Austin, Tex., as one of the cities where it plans to launch commercial applications for self-driving vehicles in by about 2021.

The carmaker previously named Miami and Washington, D.C., as launch markets. As in those cities, Ford and its Argo AI unit will begin developing high-definition 3D maps of Austin’s streets and surrounding landscape later this year.

After the mapping is complete, Ford and Argo will begin testing autonomous vehicles on public streets in Austin. Two safety staffers will be on board to monitor the vehicle and take control if necessary.

Ford also will open a fleet depot in the city that will serve as a home base for the vehicles and their technical support crew. The carmaker plans to work with local partners to develop potential business applications, such as robo-taxis and delivery services, for the vehicles.

The company says it chose Austin in part because of the city and state’s commitment to autonomous vehicle testing and developing safety standards. Ford also notes that autonomous vehicles could help ease traffic congestion in Austin, the fastest-growing metropolitan area in the U.S. in each of the last eight years, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Among the unique challenges in Austin is a high rate of pedestrian, bicycle and scooter traffic. Ford says developing sensors and control algorithms to detect and predict the movement of scooters is particularly difficult.

By testing and building business models for self-driving cars in multiple cities, Ford believes it will be able to scale up operations faster. Sherif Marakby, who heads Ford’s autonomous vehicle unit, describes the carmaker’s 2021 launch goal as “realistic,” but he concedes the rollout may need to be adjusted based on test results and other market conditions.