Ford Vows Hands-Free Autonomous Cars By 2021

(RTTNews) - Ford Motor Co. (F) Wednesday announced its plan to mass produce fully autonomous vehicle by 2021 mainly for ride-hailing services like Uber.

Ford's first fully autonomous vehicle will come 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, the company said.

Ford also said it will expand its Silicon Valley by adding two new buildings and 150,000 square feet of work and lab space adjacent to the current Research and Innovation Center by the end of 2017.

"The next decade will be defined by automation of the automobile, and we see autonomous vehicles as having as significant an impact on society as Ford's moving assembly line did 100 years ago," said Mark Fields, Ford president and CEO. "We're dedicated to putting on the road an autonomous vehicle that can improve safety and solve social and environmental challenges for millions of people - not just those who can afford luxury vehicles."