Ford to start European testing of autonomous vehicles in 2017

Ford has announced that it will start testing the use of autonomous cars in Europe in 2017. The company has already been running tests on the roads of California, Arizona and Michigan in the United States and claims to have the most advanced self-driving fleet of any car manufacturer.

Ford revealed the start of the European tests in a statement issued on 29 November – in which it also announced the results of a survey which showed that Europeans were rather looking forward to the extra free time that self-driving cars could bring.

“People are really beginning to think about exactly what autonomous vehicles could mean to their day-to-day lives,” said Thomas Lukaszewicz, manager, Automated Driving, Ford of Europe. “Self-driving cars will revolutionise the way we live, as well as the way we travel.”

Lukaszewicz added: “We have already announced plans to use an autonomous vehicle for a ride-sharing service in the U.S. in 2021 and it is important that we extend our testing to Europe.

“Rules of the road vary from country to country here, traffic signs and road layouts are different, and drivers are likely to share congested roads with cyclists.”