Ford AVs on streets of Washington, DC

Ford is to be the first company to test autonomous vehicles (AVs) in Washington, DC – with a view to starting a commercial service there in 2021. The car company – which already has AV trials in Detroit, Pittsburgh and Miami - will begin testing in the US capital early next year. An operations centre will be set up in the city and Sherif Marakby, CEO of Ford Autonomous Vehicles, says fleet deployment will be done in a way that aids job creation. The company plans to work with local officials to tes
October 24, 2018 Read time: 2 mins
Ford is to be the first company to test autonomous vehicles (AVs) in Washington, DC – with a view to starting a commercial service there in 2021.


The car company – which already has AV trials in Detroit, Pittsburgh and Miami - will begin testing in the US capital early next year.

An operations centre will be set up in the city and Sherif Marakby, CEO of Ford Autonomous Vehicles, says fleet deployment will be done in a way that aids job creation.

The company plans to work with local officials to test self-driving vehicles in all eight of the district’s wards in a bid to ensure that the entire population has access to the potential benefits.

“We believe that ensuring widespread access to mobility services enabled by self-driving vehicles is vital,” Marakby says, referring to a report by Securing America’s Future Energy, which said AVs could improve people’s access to work.

“The advent of self-driving vehicles promises a chance to make it more affordable and easier for people to get to jobs by filling gaps in access to public transportation, new ways to deliver food and other products, and more,” adds Marakby.

Ford is also to be part of an agreement with ride-hailing firms Uber and Lyft to make data sets available on the SharedStreets platform.

Announced at the second annual Bloomberg Global Business Forum in New York, the deal is aimed at providing a common standard for sharing data across all cities.

SharedStreets is funded by the Bloomberg Philanthropies consortium and is designed to make it easier for the private sector to work with cities around the world and utilise data to improve mobility.

Related Content

  • August 17, 2016
    Ford targets fully autonomous vehicle in 2021
    Ford has announced its intention to have a high-volume, fully autonomous vehicle in commercial operation in 2021. The new vehicle will be a Society of Automotive Engineers-rated level 4-capable vehicle without a steering wheel or gas and brake pedals. It is being specifically designed for commercial mobility services, such as ride sharing and ride hailing, and will be available in high volumes. SAE level 4 is one level below full automation and is defined as ‘mode-specific performance by an automated
    Read More
  • March 4, 2019
    Transport Systems Catapult boss: ‘We can’t build our way out of congestion’
    The UK Transport Systems Catapult’s CEO Paul Campion talks to Colin Sowman about helping companies develop tomorrow’s solutions – and explains why you can never build your way to empty roads The future of mobility is going to be driven by services.” That’s the opening position of Paul Campion, CEO of the Transport Systems Catapult (TSC) – the UK government organisation set up to help boost transport-related employment and the economy. Campion was previously with IBM and describes himself as a ‘techno o
    Read More
  • March 4, 2019
    TISPOL says gig economy tears up enforcement rulebook
    The road safety enforcement sector is facing a crisis. Rulebooks around the world are going to have to change as our roads become a high-pressure workplace for millions of gig economy workers. Geoff Hadwick reports from the TISPOL conference Traffic police forces everywhere will need a fresh approach to regulating the way in which our highways are being used, senior enforcement officers were told at the latest TISPOL European Traffic Police Network annual conference. The World Health Organisation puts it
    Read More
  • September 27, 2021
    CCAM innovation at ITS World Congress 2021
    We live in an era of increasingly cooperative, connected and automated mobility (CCAM) but there’s still a huge way to go - visitors to ITS World Congress in Hamburg will be able to see projects, innovations and real-life solutions showcased in the city
    Read More

Highlighted Content