At this year’s Consumer Electronics Show, Ford announced plans for new self-driving technology that it says will help the company achieve eyesight-free driving capabilities by 2028.
According to Electrek, the first production vehicle developed for the Universal EV platform will be a four-door mid-size electric pickup truck that will be launched in 2027 and cost approximately $30,000.
Level 2 autonomous driving provides driver assistance features that require constant supervision, while Level 4 vehicles operate fully autonomously within defined boundaries without driver intervention, such as self-driving taxis.
Ford and other automakers such as BMW and Stellantis are planning to achieve Level 3 conditional autonomy, where drivers can take their hands and eyes off the road while the vehicle handles driving tasks. However, the driver needs to be able to take over on request.
Ford says Level 3 autonomous driving will expand on its BlueCruise technology, which already allows hands-free driving assistance on certain roads.
“Autonomous driving shouldn’t be a premium feature,” the company said in a press release. “By designing our own software and hardware in-house, we’ve found a way to make this technology more affordable. That means we can put advanced hands-free driving features into vehicles that people actually buy, not just vehicles that are priced out of reach.”
At the heart of Ford’s UEV platform is a more unified “vehicle brain” that the company developed to manage infotainment, advanced driver assistance systems, audio and networking.
Because the company owns the technology, rather than buying it from outside suppliers, Ford claims the car’s brain can provide “significantly more functionality at a 30 percent lower cost.”
Ford’s universal electric vehicle platform includes an overhaul of traditional assembly line processes to maximize efficiency.
“We are transforming the traditional assembly line into an ‘assembly tree.’ Instead of one long conveyor, the three subassemblies run simultaneously along their respective production lines and are then connected together,” said Bryce Currie, Ford vice president of manufacturing for the Americas.
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He added that this will allow the company to assemble new medium-duty electric trucks 40 percent faster than before, with Ford’s Louisville Assembly Plant serving as a successful proving ground for the project.
Not only do Ford electric vehicle customers have the opportunity to test the future of transportation with Level 3 autonomous capabilities, they do so without paying a hefty price tag.
These new features could also be a boon to the environment, beyond just attracting buyers interested in electric vehicles with zero tailpipe emissions, lower fuel and maintenance costs and quieter engines.
If perfected, the technology could provide a smoother driving experience by optimizing speed and acceleration, which would also lead to more efficient energy use.
U.S. Department of Energy data shared by Earth.org estimates that autonomous driving can reduce fuel consumption by up to 20%.
The reduced cost of all this future driving technology may also prompt homeowners to install solar panel systems for their homes, both to reduce their carbon footprint and further reduce vehicle charging costs.
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