ford says it will “democratize autonomy” if it launches one Self-driving system that keeps your eyes off the road in 2028 in one of its most affordable vehicles, a new electric ute to be christened the Ranchero.
Doug Field, Ford’s chief EV, digital and design officer, made the announcement at this CES in Las Vegas. He said Ford’s Level 3 self-driving technology was designed “for the many, not just the privileged few.”
Mr. Field claims the automaker is able to integrate the technology into “vehicles that people actually buy” because it developed the software and hardware for the system itself, making it about 30 percent cheaper than buying a solution from an outside supplier.
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The first car to feature the new self-driving system will be the company’s upcoming budget electric car. Announced in August, the new ute is based on the Universal EV Platform developed by Skunkworks.
The new ute – expected to be called the Ranchero – is about the same size as the Ranger and is expected to launch in 2027. Prices start at US$30,000 (A$45,000). For comparison, Ford’s two cheapest models in the US are the Maverick Hybrid, which starts at $28,145, and the Escape, which starts at $30,350.
In a Level 3 system, the car is able to drive itself without constant human supervision, allowing the person in the driver’s seat to potentially watch a movie, use a computer, or play a game. However, you must remain alert and alert because the vehicle may ask you to take over if it cannot handle something or the end of the self-driving journey is near.
Most self-driving systems available worldwide today – and all those available in Australia – in private vehicles are Level 2 or “Level 2+”, and if something goes wrong, legal responsibility falls on the driver. When cars are powered with a Level 3 system, legal responsibility shifts to the manufacturer.
Ford has been investing heavily in autonomous driving for over a decade. In addition to its own research and development, the company bought the startup Argo AI in 2017, whose goal was to bring level 4 self-driving cars to market by the turn of the millennium. After investing billions and adding Volkswagen as a co-investor, Argo AI was closed in 2022.
The company’s most advanced self-driving system is BlueCruise, which enables hands-free driving with a view of the road on approximately 209,000 km of controlled access roads in the United States and Canada. According to Ford, 1.2 million cars are on the road with BlueCruise.
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