Ford to invest US$1 billion into autonomous vehicle startup Argo AI

REUTERS/Daniel Becerril

Not wanting to be left behind in the self-driving car race, Ford is pouring a US$1 billion investment over five years at Argo AI. The previously unheard of startup is led by Uber and Google veterans. They will be working with Ford’s team to create a fully self-driving car by 2021. The cars will be used for commercial ride sharing fleets. Argo AI won’t be owned by Ford but the company is the largest shareholder. The startup will be focusing on artificial intelligence and robotics side of the system to help develop Ford’s “virtual driver system.”

Argo AI plans to hire 200 more employees to get the job done. A possible enticement when it comes to recruitment is that employees could have equity stake in the company. "They have the opportunity to run it pretty independently with a board, but because it is a separate company or subsidiary, it has the opportunity to go out and recruit with competitive compensation packages and equity,” Ford Chief Executive Officer Mark Fields says at a press conference.

Ford reveals EV roadmap including Mustang, F-150 and Transit models by 2020

Ford has unveiled its EV (Electrified Vehicle) roadmap with no less than seven of 13 new global electrified vehicles coming in the next five years, including F-150 Hybrid, Mustang Hybrid and Transit Custom plug-in hybrid.

the company is committing to a fully elextric SUV with an estimated 300 mile range and even two new electrified Police vehicles. Ford is investing $700 million and adding 700 direct new jobs in Flat Rock (Michigan) Assembly Plant to create a factory capable of producing high-tech electrified and autonomous vehicles – plus the iconic Ford Mustang and Lincoln Continental.

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Ford and Harman look to transform in-car audio with B&O Play

According to a recent Ipsos 2016 Automotive Audio Branding study, one-third of new car buyers take into consideration the audio brand included into their next vehicle purchase. Whether you believe that or not, we don’t discount the necessity of a good audio system in a car. And that’s what both Ford and Harman are championing with their new partnership. The two companies have joined forces to unveil B&O Play, a new audio system that will debut exclusively on Ford’s global lineup starting next year.

“Customers tell us they value consistent, high-quality audio experiences, and our collaboration with HARMAN is helping provide that,” said Raj Nair, Ford‘s executive vice president, product development and chief technical officer. “This is just one of the ways we are creating richer, more engaging in-vehicle experiences for customers.”

Art of Fusion: a stress-free day trip with new 2017 Ford Fusion Energi Platinum

 

By Sonya Davidson

The summer has been spectacular, hasn’t it? It’s been filled with travels near and far for the past couple of months and more experiences to add to my personal bucket list. One of the most memorable day-trips out of the city was dubbed the #ArtOfFusion. Fusion to many of us means taking the best of two or more worlds. This trip was certainly the best of several realms from technology, art, and yes, food. 

A recent outing with Ford Canada had me rediscovering the rich Canadiana landscape peppered with mindful moments in the new 2017 Fusion Energi Platinum. A full itinerary that catered to more lifestyle focused writers gave the opportunity to explore the vehicle in a more everyday approach. Going in with an open mind that suits the needs of everyday drivers was apparent since not much “selling” of the new vehicles happened on this day-trip. We were very much in a  “see for yourself” mode.  

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