General Motors is seen as a leading contender in the self-driving car race, while Google’s Waymo division often grabs the most headlines. But, what about crosstown rival Ford?
The two automakers have taken very different paths in the pursuit towards autonomy. Bloomberg reported on Monday that the two automakers have dug into separate strategies: GM continues to move as quickly as possible, but Ford will go slow and steady.
The strategies reflect both automakers’ tentative self-driving car rollout timelines, too. GM wants to commercialize its technology in 2019; Ford aims for a 2021 introduction date. According to the report, Ford is prioritizing a profitability over sheer speed. Ford may not be first to market with a self-driving car, but the automaker will work to make sure it’s first to be profitable.
Ford’s gamble hasn’t paid off so far, though. Investors have rallied around GM as it continues to show progress via its Cruise Automation subsidiary. Recently, the unit received a $2.25 billion investment from SoftBank to bolster self-driving car development.
Only time will tell which automaker’s strategy will pay off, but the experts still believe GM has something special going on over the blue oval.
Comments
I’ve yet to meet anyone who desires autonomous vehicles. Too bad GM won’t make a similar investment in making their lineup more appealing to those who want to buy them and drive them.
I would love to own a autonomous vehicle, cant wait until I can take a Lyft ride in one. Why are people so afraid of change? And this is coming from a person who loves to drive!
I hope this allows GM to leave ford behind for good! I hope this decision will bury ford!
Have you seen the autonomous Fusion Hybrids? The cameras and LIDARs are integrated into the body so they don’t look like a mad scientist’s experiment on the roof, as with the Chevy Bolt EVs that Cruise is using. Ford mat be behind but the AVs are better looking.