Ford tests autonomous vehicles at the University of Michigan's Mcity

Ford tests autonomous vehicles at the University of Michigan's Mcity

Ford has become the first carmaker to test its autonomous vehicles at Mcity, the University of Michigan's 32-acre simulated real-world urban environment.

Part of the American university's Mobility Transformation Centre, the complex provides realistic emergency road situations, such as running a red light, that cannot be safely replicated on public roads.

The use of the testing facility comes after 10 years of Ford autonomous vehicle testing.

At the facility, the Ford Fusion Hybrid Autonomous Research Vehicle is tested over a range of surfaces including concrete, asphalt, brick and dirt and manoeuvres ramps, roundabouts and tunnels in two, three and four-lane guises.

Raj Nair, Ford group vice president of Global Product Development commented "Testing Ford's autonomous vehicle fleet at Mcity provides another challenging, yet safe, urban environment to repeatedly check and hone these new technologies. This is an important step in making millions of people's lives better and improving their mobility."

To find out more about the Ford's testing at Mcity, check out the below video: