According to Carscoops, the execs at Blue Oval reasoned that the company would be better off polishing its existing technologies implemented in mass-market cars. They also concluded that trying to design a car without a steering wheel or pedals was ‘not financially viable’.
Ford had originally planned to design, manufacture and launch a fleet of self-driving vehicles for ridesharing and delivery services. It estimated that, once the U.S. National Highway Transport Safety Administration (NHTSA) gave it the green light for public road tests, it would be able to bring up to 2,500 such vehicles to the streets.
After a period of research, the company concluded that the current level of technology was inadequate to proceed with the project and put it on hold. For the time being, Ford will instead focus on improving its current autopilot system, BlueCruise. The company believes it can raise its autonomy level to 3, letting drivers occasionally take their eyes off the road.
It is worth pointing out that General Motors, the main rival of Ford in this department, still hopes to come up with a financially viable solution and to begin self-driving car tests in the near future.