Ford CEO Announces Near Breakthrough In Progression For Autonomous Driving

When it comes to electric vehicles (EVs) possessing autonomous driving technology, Ford CEO Jim Farley has revealed that the company is close to achieving Level 3 autonomous driving capabilities.

The announcement was made during a recent interview with Bloomberg TV, where Farley expresses the progress that Ford has made in achieving Level 3 autonomy stating, “We can do it now pretty regularly with a prototype, but doing it in a cost-effective way is just the progress we’re going to need to make.”

Ford’s Level 3 Autonomy

In detail, Level 3 autonomy represents a substantial leap forward from the current Level 2 systems widely available in the market. While Level 2 allows for hands-free driving but requires the driver to maintain visual attention on the road, Level 3 enables both hands-free and eyes-off operation under specific conditions.

As Farley emphasized the transformative potential of this technology, noting, “Level 3 autonomy will allow you to go hands and eyes off the road on the highway in a couple years so then your car becomes like an office. You could do a conference call and all sorts of stuff.”

Farley also projected that Level 3 autonomous driving capabilities could be available in Ford’s passenger EVs within the next two years, setting a tentative target for 2026. This progress is particularly noteworthy given Ford’s recent success in the ADAS field. Notably, Ford’s BlueCruise system claimed the top spot in Consumer Reports ranking of driver assistance systems for 2023, outperforming competitors like GM’s Super Cruise and Tesla’s Autopilot.

Autonomous Self-Driving System

As of now, Mercedes-Benz is the only automaker to have deployed Level 3 autonomy in production vehicles, with its Drive Pilot system authorized for use on specific highways in the (U.S.) at speeds below 40 mph.

While Farley did not disclose specific details about the technologies Ford is employing to achieve Level 3 autonomy, the development is especially intriguing in light of the company’s decision to absorb its autonomous driving division, Argo AI, in 2022. At that time, Ford stated that full self-driving technology was too distant a goal, making this rapid progress toward Level 3 all the more remarkable.

As the automotive landscape continues to evolve with EVs and autonomous driving technologies at the forefront of innovation, Ford’s announcement positions the company as a serious contender in the race for advanced driver assistance systems. All eyes will be on Ford as it works towards its 2026 target of bringing Level 3 autonomous driving to the mass market.

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