Ford & Volkswagen Expand their Collaboration to Advance Autonomous Driving, Electrification
Statistics show
that the popularity of electric and
self-driving vehicles is quickly increasing. Executives at Ford Motor
Company and Volkswagen AG recognize this and as a result have recently
announced a global alliance to expand the market of these popular vehicles.
Adding
autonomous and electrified vehicles to the list of joint projects that began
with January’s announcement of a joint venture covering commercial vehicles, Ford
Motor Company and Volkswagen AG are now expanding their global alliance to
include electric vehicles – and will collaborate with Argo AI technology
platform company to introduce autonomous vehicle technology in both the U.S.
and Europe. Positioning both companies to better serve customers with the
latest in automotive technology, two of the best automotive manufacturers are
expected to dramatically reshape the global auto industry over the coming
years.
Interested in the Future of Driving
While Ford has already invested billions of dollars on this growing side
of automotive technology, including setting up an outpost in Silicon Valley to
tap into this tech-friendly region’s know-how, officials at this popular
automotive company describe the latest “big deal” as a new deal that is sure to
overcome the former difficulties and usher in a bright future.
This new Ford and Volkswagen partnership will also include the
development of battery-operated electric vehicles, an area in which global
automakers are expected to invest $225 billion from 2019 to 2023. Ford will use
also Volkswagen’s electric vehicle architecture and Modular Electric Toolkit
(MEB) to design and build at least one high-volume fully electric vehicle in
Europe for European customers starting in 2023, more efficiently advancing its
promise to deliver expressive passenger cars while taking advantage of
Volkswagen’s scale.
Along with a partnership to expand the electric vehicle market, both Ford
and Volkswagen are investing billions of dollars in the latest Intelligent
Driving (AID) company, Argo AI to provide the autonomous vehicle technology the
automakers need to deliver fully integrated self-driving vehicles that can be
manufactured at scale for safe, reliable and durable deployment in ride sharing
and goods delivery services.
“While Ford and Volkswagen remain independent and fiercely competitive in
the marketplace, teaming up and working with Argo AI on this important
technology allows us to deliver unmatched capability, scale and geographic
reach far into the automotive future,” said Ford President and CEO Jim Hackett.
“Unlocking the synergies across a range of areas allows us to showcase the
power of our global alliance in this era of smart vehicles for a smart world.”
Driving into a Smarter Future
Stay tuned to
find out how you and your loved ones can dive into the smartest of automotive
futures in the near future. If you are tired of waiting for the vehicle of your
future, your Southern
California Ford Dealers has the perfect Ford vehicle waiting for you at
your local dealership showroom. So, stop the waiting and get behind the wheel
of your already very bright future.
Resources:
https://media.ford.com/content/fordmedia/fna/us/en/news/2019/07/12/ford-vw.html
