Autonomous vehicles are most definitely within our horizon, and along with the shift away from internal combustion and the wide adoption of fully electric drive, are set to shape an almost unrecognisable future for the automotive landscape.
But perhaps that gradual transitioned has been overtaken by the hype generated around some kind of revolution, increasingly detached from the realities of the iterative and painstaking improvements that need to be undertaken and experienced before any technology reaches maturity.
That’s the view of Ford’s new CEO Jim Hackett which, prior to his new post at helm of the Blue Oval was in charge of the company’s Smart Mobility division, and who is now back-pedalling from their original self-imposed 2021 promise to introduce self-driving cars to the masses, the kind that wouldn’t even include a steering wheel or pedals.
At Ford’s City of Tomorrow symposium at San Francisco’s Fort Mason, the SFGate sat down with the 62 year old CEO to pick his brain on his unique take on how more cars are getting more intelligent in tandem with the industry’s future being far less reliant on petrol and/or diesel, and how those two would (or should) converge under Ford’s contribution.
Hackett reportedly described the future being posited to customers as being too deep in the realm of “romanticism”, fuelled both by the media and often unwittingly complicit with the marketing objectives of various automakers, each wishing to seem like the most forward thinking and embracive of this revolution in the distance.
The Ford narrative seems to be moving toward a more conservative tone, somewhat more in parallel to that of its key rivals. "It will be a progressive thing, just like computing. If you think about a vehicle that can drive anywhere, anytime, in any circumstance, cold, rain—that’s longer than 2021. And every manufacturer will tell you that," Hackett said.
He also added that the idea that the model of cars becoming shared services instead of privately owned and that human-driven cars (and human drivers) will become obsolete within the next decade aren't as likely as some have now come to regard.
As is the case right now with semi-autonomous features, be it for the sake of convenience or safety, full autonomy will indeed be seen as a valuable addition to the spec list, but not the kind of singular ability that will overshadow everything else. "You’re buying the capability because of the protection it gives you. It’s also possible it could be applied in these big, disruptive ways that of course we’re not blind to, but my bet is we don’t know. So again, that’s a good position for Ford to be in, because the company can actually advantage itself both ways,” he added.
For more on Ford, check out our Showroom.
