Ford Motor Co. (NYSE:F) has pushed into the electric vehicle market in the first half of this decade with some solid successes on its belt. Another recent Ford ingenuity is Blue Cruise, which has been promoted as a hands-free highway driving experience. Currently, the service boasts coverage on 97% of controlled access highways in the U.S. and Canada.
The United States National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is reportedly investigating a fatal crash that occurred in San Antonio, Texas. Reports indicate that the crash involved a Ford electric vehicle (EV) that may have been using a partially automated driving system.
Preliminary information appears to show that a Ford Mustang Mach-E SUV was equipped with the company’s partially automated driving system. The Mustang collided with the rear of a Honda CR-V that was stopped in a highway lane. KSAT, a local television station, reported that the Mach-E driver told authorities that the Honda CR-V was stopped in the middle lane with no lights before the crash occurred around 9:50pm. The 56-year-old driver of the Honda was killed.
As it stands today, there are no fully autonomous vehicles for sale to the public in the U.S. Indeed, some reports indicate that the technology is still quite far away. Meanwhile, both the NHTSA and the NTSB have so-far investigated several crashes that have involved partially driving systems. That includes the Tesla Autopilot.
Shares of Ford have dropped 1.1% month-over-month as of close on Friday, March 15, 2024. That has pushed the stock into negative territory in the year-to-date period. Ford stock currently possesses a favourable price-to-earnings ratio of 11. Moreover, it offers a quarterly dividend of $0.15 per share. That represents a 4.9% yield.
