Ford Adds Semi-Autonomous Escape SUVs By Late 2021, In Collaboration With Argo AI And Lyft

Via a collaboration with Ford and driverless car tech company Argo AI, Lyft may soon offer semi-autonomous trips in selected areas. Miami will get the service later this year, while Austin, Texas, will get it in 2022. In the next 5 years, Ford says it hopes to have over 1000 automobiles in its portfolio.

There will be security drivers behind the wheel, and consumers may choose whether to take a Ford driverless ride through the Lyft app.  When using the Lyft app, customers can choose whether or not they want a semi-autonomous trip. The target of this experiment is to start commercially introducing driverless cars on a big scale shortly.

However, these Escape crossovers fitted with Argo AI's Self-Driving System (SDS) 360-degree lidar will not be self-driving cars, according to Ford. Backup drivers will be behind the wheel of these Escape cars coupled with Argo AI's Self-Driving System (SDS) 360-degree lidar. In 2019, Ford and Volkswagen spent billions of dollars in Argo AI to create self-driving systems for their cars. 

The vehicles are still owned by Ford, while Argo AI provides the technology and safe drivers. As part of the agreement, Argo AI will use Lyft data to improve its capabilities, and Lyft will earn 2.5 percent of Argo AI's common ownership. Lyft just sold its self-driving section to a Toyota subsidiary. Lyft has also formed a deal with Motional and Hyundai to provide completely autonomous vehicles to the Lyft network by 2023.