Ford is gearing up to test its autonomous vehicles in the streets of Washington D.C.
The company announced the move Monday. It says its partner company, Argo AI, has already begun rolling out the vehicles on district streets to prepare for the testing phase. It plans to deploy the feature in all eight of the district’s wards.
Ford says the move is a step toward operating the vehicles commercially in a ride hailing service by 2021.
Ford and Argo AI have been testing the technology's capabilities in Detroit, Pittsburgh and Miami.
Self driving cars have faced some criticism after two deadly crashes in March involving a Tesla Model X and an Uber autonomous vehicle.
So far, Congress has stalled when it comes to passing autonomous vehicle regulation.
Ford says it's prioritizing safety in its approach and has called on lawmakers to pass stricter guidelines for the technology.
Additional reporting from Newsy affiliate CNN.
