Ford pushes its autonomous self-driving cars to be used by Lyft

Lyft Inc. (Nasdaq: LYFT) has announced that it will deploy self-driving cars on its Rideshare network by the end of this year. This will be done through a partnership with Argo AI and of course Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F). The three companies announced that they will deploy autonomous ride-hailing cars on the streets of Miami during 2021 and Austin streets in 2022. Lyft chief executive officer and co-founder Logan Green said this collaboration between these three companies marks the first time anything like this has been done in the autonomous vehicle space. He went on to explain that every company brings a wealth of skills, knowledge and scope in all of their areas of expertise, which is required to make self-propelled ride-hailing a reality. Under the agreement, Ford and Argo AI will deploy autonomous vehicles with safety drivers at Lyft. People using Lyft on-site will have access to Ford's autonomous vehicles, when available. The companies will leverage the early deployments to identify any operational issues and complications as they work towards an agreement that will include more than 1,000 self-driving cars on Lyft's ride-sharing network over the next half decade. Bryan Salesky, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Argo AI, said the collaboration between these companies is unique because they share a common vision that is to improve affordability, access and road safety in US cities. In addition to the connection that the Lyft network provides consumers, companies can now work together to find out where self-driving cars can best benefit communities. In addition, they will now be able to use such technologies safely. Argo is known for developing self-driving technologies, and the company has tested such technologies in Austin, Miami, and Washington. However, the company's headquarters are in Pittsburgh. A Lyft spokesman told Modern Shipper that the Argo drivers and Ford cars will be arriving.