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Ford's Autonomous Cars to Hit the Road in California

Angela Moscaritolo
 & Angela Moscaritolo Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

Our team tests, rates, and reviews more than 1,500 products each year to help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology.

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Make way for self-driving Ford vehicles, California drivers.

The auto maker on Tuesday announced that it has obtained the permit necessary to let its fully autonomous Ford Fusion Hybrid loose on public roads in California. Ford is aiming to begin its autonomous driving tests on California's public roads in the second half of next yearr, but it must first plan its driving routes, including highways and city streets, then map them out in 3D, according to The Washington Post. 

The California Department of Motor Vehicles started issuing permits in September 2014 that allow for testing of autonomous vehicles on public roads in the state. To date, 11 auto makers have been approved to participate in California's Autonomous Vehicle Tester Program, including Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, Google, Delphi Automotive, Tesla Motors, Bosch, Nissan, Cruise Automation, BMW, Honda, and now Ford, according to the DMV.

Ford has already been testing its self-driving vehicles on public roads in Michigan and at Mcity, a simulated urban environment at the University of Michigan that lets auto makers experiment with real-world scenarios — like cars running a red light — that can't be replicated on public roads.

Back in California, Ford opened the Palo Alto Research and Innovation Center in January, which now has a team of more than 100 researchers, engineers, and scientists who have been working on things like virtual autonomous vehicle test drives (see video below), sensors that detect and track objects in the vehicle's view, camera-based pedestrian detection, and more.

"Our Palo Alto team has grown significantly this year, using research and innovation to explore and develop future mobility solutions," Ford president and CEO Mark Fields said in a statement.

About Our Expert

Angela Moscaritolo

Angela Moscaritolo

Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

My Experience

I'm PCMag's managing editor for consumer electronics, overseeing an experienced team of analysts covering smart home, home entertainment, wearables, fitness and health tech, and various other product categories. I have been with PCMag for more than 10 years, and in that time have written more than 6,000 articles and reviews for the site. I previously served as an analyst focused on smart home and wearable devices, and before that I was a reporter covering consumer tech news. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade. 

Prior to joining PCMag, I was a reporter for SC Magazine, focusing on hackers and computer security. I earned a BS in journalism from West Virginia University, and started my career writing for newspapers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

The Technology I Use

My little Florida beach bungalow is brimming with smart home tech. I have a smart speaker or display in every room, allowing me to control other connected devices by voice. The Nest Hub on my bedside table lets me set wake-up alarms, control my smart light bulbs, and set the temperature on my smart thermostat. I use the Amazon Echo Show 8 on my kitchen counter to browse recipes, reorder protein powder, check the weather, and watch the news while I do dishes. 

Because I suffer from allergies, air purifiers are essential. My favorite model is the Dyson Purifier Cool TP07, which doubles as a fan and continuously sends indoor pollution data to its companion mobile app. 

My pitbull Bradley sheds, so a good robot vacuum is a must. I currently use a premium Ecovacs Deebot that can both vacuum and mop, empty its own dustbin, and wash its own mop cloth. 

For fitness, I like to mix up my routine with cycling, indoor rowing, running, and strength training in addition to yoga. I take classes on the Tonal 2 smart strength training machine, I row indoors on an Aviron machine, and track my beach runs with an Apple Watch while listening to music on my Apple AirPods Pro. On the weekends, I love riding e-bikes like the rugged, beach-friendly Aventon Aventure for fun and fitness.

My job involves a lot of virtual meetings, so a quality webcam, microphone, and ring light are important. I use the Jabra PanaCast 20 webcam, the Elgato Wave: 3 microphone, and a Yesker tripod ring light. 

As for my preferred phone platform, I'm an iPhone person, but I've also extensively used Android for product testing.

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