- Ford (NYSE:F) says it will make an announcement at 2:00 p.m. EDT to discuss the company's expanding presence in Silicon Valley and autonomous vehicle development.
- The automaker will also host a conference call with analysts at 4:00 p.m. to discuss its smart mobility ambitions. The roster of Ford execs on the call include global development and technology heavyweights.
- Earlier today on CNBC, CEO Mark Fields joined the group of leaders predicting a seismic change in the automobile industry.
- "Our view is autonomous vehicles could have just as much [of an] impact on society as Ford's moving assembly line did 100 years ago," Fields noted. In an important revelation, Fields says more customers are telling the company that they are interested in the autonomous driving option -- an anecdote that runs counter to the view of some that drivers don't want to give up the wheel (partially or fully).
- Field hinted that the scheduled autonomous announcement for today will be significant. It's a development that could have some bearing on the self-driving plans of General Motors (NYSE:GM), Audi (VLKAY), Tesla Motors (NASDAQ:TSLA), Nissan (OTCPK:NSANY), and Toyota (NYSE:TM). Lyft (LYFT) and Uber (UBER) are also feeling their way around the autonomous driving landscape. Plenty of auto suppliers such as Mobileye (NYSE:MBLY), Autoliv (NYSE:ALV), BorgWarner (NYSE:BWA), Tenneco (NYSE:TEN), Dana (NYSE:DAN), STMicroelectronics (NYSE:STM), and Delphi Automotive (NYSE:DLPH) will also be listening intently to details on Ford's plans.
- Previously: Ford pushes the accelerator on autonomous vehicles (Aug. 16)