Ford creates autonomous organisation
- July 25, 2018
- Posted by: Simon Wait
- Category: Industry News
Ford Motor Company announced it has created Ford Autonomous Vehicles LLC, a new organisation charged with accelerating its AV business to capitalise on market opportunities.
The company also detailed key organisational changes designed to improve its operational fitness and drive profitable growth.
The company is organising its self-driving business into Ford Autonomous Vehicles LLC, which will include Ford’s self-driving systems integration, autonomous vehicle research and advanced engineering, AV transportation-as-a-service network development, user experience, business strategy and business development teams.
The new LLC, which is structured to take on third party investment, will be primarily based at Ford’s Corktown campus in Detroit and will hold Ford’s ownership stake in Argo AI, the company’s Pittsburgh-based partner for self-driving system development. Ford expects to invest $4bn in its AV efforts through 2023, including its $1bn investment in Argo AI.
Sherif Marakby, currently Ford vice president, autonomous vehicles and electrification, is appointed CEO of Ford autonomous vehicles LLC reporting to a board of directors chaired by Marcy Klevorn, Ford’s executive vice president and president, mobility.
‘Ford has made tremendous progress across the self driving value chain – from technology development to business model innovation to user experience,” said Jim Hackett, president and CEO, Ford. ‘Now is the right time to consolidate our autonomous driving platform into one team to best position the business for the opportunities ahead.’
