Argo AI

Argo AI was an autonomous vehicle technology company founded in 2016 by Bryan Salesky and Peter Rander, both veterans of Google and Uber's self-driving car projects. The company developed self-driving technology with the aim of creating a full self-driving system for autonomous vehicles. Argo AI's technology utilized sensors and high-performance computers to enable vehicles to navigate city streets without human drivers. The company conducted testing of its autonomous vehicles in several US cities including Miami, Austin, Washington D.C., Pittsburgh, Detroit, and Palo Alto, as well as in Hamburg, Germany.

Argo AI's business model focused on developing and selling its self-driving system to other businesses, along with offering fleet management, customer support, and scheduling services. The company aimed to integrate its technology into ride-hailing and delivery services. In May 2022, Argo AI began driverless operations in Miami and Austin, testing fully autonomous vehicles without safety drivers during daytime business hours.

However, in October 2022, Ford and Volkswagen, Argo AI's primary backers, decided to shut down the company. Ford cited that profitable, fully autonomous vehicles at scale were further away than initially anticipated, leading to a shift in focus toward developing lower levels of automated driving technology in-house. As a result, Argo AI was disbanded, with its assets and some employees being absorbed by Ford and Volkswagen.

Key customers and partnerships

Argo AI had established partnerships with several major companies to implement its autonomous driving technology. The company was working with Ford to launch commercial pilots in Miami and Austin, including an integration with Lyft's ride-hailing platform. Additionally, Argo AI had partnered with Walmart to develop a grocery delivery program in Miami, Austin, and Washington D.C.

In September 2021, Argo AI announced a collaboration with Lyft to deploy at least 1,000 self-driving vehicles on Lyft's ride-hailing network in multiple cities over five years, starting with Miami and Austin. The company was also working toward launching an automated rideshare service with Volkswagen in Germany by 2025.