Ford announced this week it's joining forces with four tech companies and doubling its staff in Silicon Valley.
Their goal is to put a fully self-driving - that means no steering wheel and no gas or brake pedals - on the road by 2021.
In his Detroit News column today, Daniel Howes wrote that Ford's move is a sign that, "your father's auto industry is gone and it's not coming back."
"I’ve been so impressed by particularly General Motors and Ford this year … in the way they’re leaning forward into this mobility game. These companies are really performing well in the traditional car and truck business, making a lot of money, selling a lot of vehicles. But at the same time they’re making some really big bets and leaning forward in the mobility space," Howes said.
"I think it’s a very, very encouraging sign of about the sophistication of management, its willingness to take calculated risks, and understanding that they have to do that at the same time that they do the traditional business.”
Listen to more about why moves like Ford's are so crucial in our full conversation above.
GUEST Daniel Howes is columnist and associate business editor of The Detroit News. He tweets @DanielHowes_TDN.
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