Back in March 2023, Ford established a new company called Latitude AI that’s being tasked with developing the automaker’s future autonomous vehicle technology, including Level 3 tech. The Blue Oval largely gave up on Level 4 and 5 autonomy, at least for now, noting that it doesn’t believe there’s a path to profitability there anytime soon – though it’s also reportedly mulling the idea of creating a robotaxi to compete with Waymo, a company that currently dominates the market. Now, one of Ford’s rivals, Toyota, is teaming up with that same company to develop its own autonomous vehicles.
Waymo and Toyota just announced that the two companies have reached a preliminary agreement that aims to explore a collaboration centered around developing and deploying AV technologies – one that capitalizes on the strengths of each. The idea is to combine Waymo’s autonomous driving expertise with Toyota’s vast experience building vehicles to create AVs that are safe and effective.
“Toyota is committed to realizing a society with zero traffic accidents and becoming a mobility company that delivers mobility for all,” said Hiroki Nakajima, Member of the Board and Executive Vice President of Toyota Motor Corporation. “We share a strong sense of purpose and a common vision with Waymo in advancing safety through automated driving technology, and we are confident this collaboration can help bring our solutions to more people around the world, moving us one step closer to a zero-accident society. Our companies are taking an important step toward a future with greater safety and peace of mind for all.”
As Ford Authority previously reported, Ford’s cross-town rival, General Motors, recently opted to end its own robotaxi development program and will instead focus its efforts on autonomous technology for personal vehicles rather than commercial-focused ones. Tesla debuted its own robotaxi last October, and as Ford Authority reported just last week, a relaxing of AV rules by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) could prompt others – including Ford – to follow suit.
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