You may see more self-driving cars on the roads next year.
Ford announced Tuesday that it has officially enrolled in the California Autonomous Vehicle Tester Program, meaning it will be allowed to start testing self-driving Fusion Hybrids on open roads in California. You'll be able to immediately recognize the robotic Fords; they're fitted with sensors on the roof and a few sticking out of the rear wheels.
This brings Ford into an ever-growing cadre of companies -- not just carmakers -- legally allowed to operate autonomous vehicles in the state, including Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, Google, Tesla Motors, Bosch, Nissan, BMW and Honda, just to name a few.
By testing its piloted cars on public roads, based out of its Palo Alto research center, Ford hopes to strengthen the now-decade old autonomous vehicle development program. Vehicle autonomy is a key component in the Ford Smart Mobility plan, which aims to take the company to the next level in connectivity, mobility and data and analytics.
In November, executive chairman Bill Ford said that the automotive industry was on the "threshold of a series of revolutions." In order to survive those waves of upheaval, Ford has turned its energy to diversifying its business.
The carmaker, now rebranded as a "mobility company," will try to transition its business plan from one that sells metal boxes with wheels -- which likely sit idle for a majority of the day -- to one that monetizes transportation as a service. So if you're in the Palo Alto area next year and see a Ford Fusion Hybrid covered in sensors roll by, be sure to wave. You're looking at part of Ford's future business model.