Ford Motor Co. is exploring how to leverage its autonomous vehicle research by developing driverless technology for use by delivery services.
The push is part of an initiative announced by the automaker last week to have a fully self-driving car— without a steering wheel or driver controls — ready for ride-hailing companies by 2021.
Ford also said it plans to double the size of its Palo Alto, Calif., research center and invest in Velodyne, a company that makes sensors used by autonomous vehicles to paint a digital picture of their surroundings.
“We believe autonomous vehicles and the automation of the driver will be a significant change, perhaps as significant as the moving assembly line,” said Raj Nair, Ford’s chief technology officer and director of global product development.