Ford Purchases Property in Austin for Autonomous Car Command Center
【Summary】A piece of property near Austin-Bergstrom International Airport will become a command center for Ford’s autonomous vehicles in Texas.

Traditional automakers are entering the autonomous scene with a chip on their shoulders. Ride-sharing companies, startups, and massive tech companies are leading the way forward, while traditional automakers lag behind. Some brands, like Ford, are looking to change that by partnering with tech companies and expanding to new locations in the United States. Ford expanded its autonomous program to Austin, Texas in September, and is now widening its program in the city.
Ford Expanding In Austin
According to the Statesman, Ford announced recent investments that include building a terminal for its autonomous fleet and a command center for the automaker in the city. Ford has reportedly secured two pieces of real estate that are crucial to the expansion. Property has been purchased near the city's international airport, which is a great location as it's only a short drive from the heart of the city.
In addition to the command center near the airport, Ford also has plans to lease a space in the eastern part of Austin. That specific location will act as a "terminal" for the automaker's autonomous fleet.
Ford's autonomous vehicles are only operating in three cities in the U.S.: Austin, Miami, and Washington, D.C. If the automaker's command center and fleet terminal do well in Austin, there's a strong chance that other cities would get similar centers. For the automaker, the two new locations are all about supporting its fleet of vehicles.
"The command center will be a mix of servicing, storing and managing vehicles," said Katheleen Baireuther, market manager for Ford Autonomous Vehicles in Austin. "We'll have customer care, and have some of our business operations on site in Austin to support the local business and make sure that everything is running smoothly."
While the new locations may sound like an emphasis on assisting Ford's autonomous Fusion Hybrids, the downtown terminal is more to support Argo AI. An Argo AI spokesman told the outlet that the new terminal will specifically be used to support Argo Ai's continued process of mapping Austin. Mapping the physical city itself isn't all that difficult or time consuming, but the problem comes when Ford and Argo AI want to build the maps using the data.
Helping Both Ford And Argo AI
Autonomous testing of cars is expected to begin before the end of the year.
"Vehicle operations and fleet management are essential parts of building a successful and scalable self-driving service in Austin and other markets which we'll expand to in the future," Don Conroy, director, Autonomous Vehicle Fleet Management at Ford Autonomous Vehicles, said in a statement, reports Patch. "The command center and terminal buildings offer Ford the opportunity to see firsthand how our vehicles will operate and what they need from us to make sure they are being utilized around the clock."
When Ford announced that it would expand its autonomous program to Austin earlier this September, the automaker claimed that the main goal was to introduce a service that involved moving people and goods. The official commercial service is expected to be launched in 2021, and the two new facilities in the city will help Ford meet the timeline.
-
Roughly 4,500 Ford Mustang Mach-E Buyers Are Facing Delays
-
Consumer Reports Looks to Help Consumers by Introducing Green Choice Designation
-
Tesla Model Y Standard Range Disappears From Site, Still Available to Purchase
-
2022 IONIQ 5 Kicks Off Hyundai’s Major EV Push
-
Mercedes-Benz Pulls the Plug on Bringing the EQC to America
-
Tesla Shakes up Pricing for the Tesla Model 3, Model Y
-
With Peak Oil in the Past, Shell Pivots to Adding EV Charging Stations
-
15 States Sue the NHTSA Over Emissions Penalties
- China’s EV Startup Xpeng Unveils the Beta Version of its Advanced Self-Driving Feature Called ‘Navigation Guided Pilot’
- AI-Powered Chip Developer Horizon Robotics Raises $400 Million in Latest Funding Round
- Volkswagen Begins Series Production of the ID.3 Electric Car at its ‘Transparent Factory’ in Germany
- Tesla to Recall up to 36,126 Model S & Model X Vehicles in China to Replace Faulty Display Units
- Lyft & Hyundai’s Joint Venture Motional to Launch a Fully Driverless Ride-Hailing Service in Major U.S. Cities
- Tesla Invests $1.5 Billion in Bitcoin, Plans to Accept the Cryptocurrency as Payment in the Near Future
- Fuel Cell Truck Startup Nikola Corp Announces its Model Lineup
- Chinese EV Startup Xpeng Secures $2 Billion Credit Line to Expand its Operations as it Takes on Tesla
- Lidar Startup Innoviz Technologies to Go Public in a $1.4 Billion SPAC Deal, Shares Will be Listed on the NASDAQ
- Volkswagen to Speed Up the Development of EVs & Digital Services as Part of its Updated 'ACCELERATE' Strategy