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Ford, Volvo, Google, Uber and Lyft form self-driving alliance

Five companies arguably leading the worldwide effort to develop autonomous cars said Tuesday they're forming an organization to lobby the federal government to better prepare America's roads for self-driving technology. The founding members include some of the biggest companies in the automotive, autonomous, and ride-sharing realms – Ford, Google, Lyft, Uber and Volvo. Operating as the "Self-Driving Coalition for Safer Streets," they aim to work with lawmakers and regulators to clarify a disparate set of rules and regulations at both the state and federal levels that could hinder the deployment of autonomous cars. "The U.S. risks losing its leading position due to the lack of federal guidelines for the testing and certification of autonomous vehicles." – Hakan Samuelsson David Strickland, a former administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration who issued the first set of autonomous-related policies in that role (pictured below), will serve as the group's counsel and spokesperson. "The best path for this innovation is to have one clear set of federal standards, and the Coalition will work with policymakers to find the right solutions that will facilitate the deployment of self-driving vehicles," he said in a written statement. In January, Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said his department would accelerate efforts to craft such federal standards. Those efforts include holding two public hearings on standards, the second of which is scheduled to be held Wednesday in Palo Alto, California. Foxx signaled the intent to deliver them by June. Google has been leading the efforts to ensure such standards are national in scope, warning their cars could run afoul of state-specific laws should they cross state borders or if standards varies between the federal efforts and regional ones. The complexity of such efforts was underscored recently, when NHTSA agreed that Google's software could be considered the driver of a vehicle for the purpose of meeting federal motor vehicle standards, an interpretation that would conflict with preliminary California rules that mandate a licensed driver operate a self-driving car that comes equipped with human controls like a steering wheel and brakes. At South By Southwest last month, Jennifer Haroon, Google's self-driving car business leader, said the company couldn't accomplish its goals under those regulations.

Inside the Ford GT's interior

Ford has crafted a simple yet high-tech interior for the GT supercar, which has been on display at auto shows around the world this year. The instrument panel has a two-tier design with a floating wing. There are soft-touch materials and carbon fiber, which also is used for the passenger cell. Still, the GT's interior has been shrouded in more mystery than the rest of the car. To cast some light on the GT's cabin, we caught up with Ford design vice president Moray Callum, who explained the ins and outs of the future icon's interior. Put simply, "there's not a lot of excess materials," Callum said. But what is there is pretty cool. In case you haven't heard, Ford plans to launch the GT in 2016. It will run a mid-mounted twin-turbo EcoBoost V6 paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox and make extensive use of carbon fiber for the body structure. Related Video:

Honda Ridgeline, Ford Ecosport and Tesla profits | Autoblog Podcast #537

On this week's Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Green Editor John Beltz Snyder and Associate Editor Joel Stocksdale. We talk about driving the 2018 Ford Ecosport and Hyundai Accent. Joel tells us why he loves the naturally aspirated engine in our long-term Honda Ridgeline. We discuss Tesla's profitability claims, Johan de Nysschen leaving Cadillac and a possible date change for the Detroit Auto Show. As usual, we'll also spend a listener's money on a car. Autoblog Podcast #537 Get The Podcast iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown Driving the 2018 Ford Ecosport Driving the 2018 Hyundai Accent A love letter to the Honda Ridgeline's V6 Leadership change at Cadillac Will Tesla be profitable this year? Will NAIAS move to October? Spend my money Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on iTunes Related Video: Earnings/Financials Green Podcasts Detroit Auto Show Cadillac Ford Honda Hyundai Tesla Used Car Buying Truck Crossover SUV Economy Cars Electric Sedan