Self-driving vehicles are surely going to make a huge impact on transportation in the near future. That’s why Ford and Lyft are teaming up to help provide efficient self-driving vehicles to the masses.
In an announcement done by Sherif Marakby, Ford Vice President, Autonomous Vehicles and Electrification, Ford and Lyft are constantly working simultaneously to create the infrastructure and systems necessary to make it easy for people to use Ford’s Argo AI’s virtual driver system.
The eventual goal is for Ford to put their fleet of self-driving vehicles on the road connected through Lyft ride-sharing network in the very near future. The hope is that Ford and Lyft software will be capable of quickly dispatching a self-driving vehicle that can get to your chosen destination as efficiently and as safely as possible.
“Lyft has a network of customers, growing demand for rides and strong knowledge of transportation flow within cities. We have experience with autonomous vehicle technology development and large scale manufacturing. Both companies have fleet management and big data experience. With our combined capabilities, we believe we can effectively share information to help make the best decisions for the future,” said Marakby.
Lyft has a network of nearly one million ride per day. Today, Lyft operates in over 360 communities, serving nearly 80 percent of the U.S. population.
While other companies are racing to put the first fully self-driving vehicles on the road, Ford’s strategy is clear.
“We are focusing our efforts on building a service based around actual people’s needs and wants. We are placing a high priority on safety and dependability so customers will trust the experience that our self-driving technology will one day enable,” said Marakby.