Fully autonomous Ford Fusion Hybrid vehicles are taking to California streets next year, as the Ford Research and Innovation Center Palo Alto continues to grow.

Ford is officially enrolled in the California Autonomous Vehicle Testing Program to test autonomous vehicles on public roads. This is part of Ford's 10-year autonomous vehicle development program and a key element of Ford Smart Mobility, the plan to take the company to the next level in connectivity, mobility, autonomous vehicles, the customer experience, and data and analytics.

Ford Research and Innovation Center Palo Alto is one of the largest automotive manufacturer research centers in the region,with a team of more than 100 engineers and scientists. The new research lab opened in January, expanding Ford's presence in Silicon Valley.

"Our Palo Alto team has grown significantly this year, using research and innovation to explore and develop future mobility solutions," said Mark Fields, Ford President and CEO. "We're attracting top talent from around the world to join our team in Silicon Valley, including employees from local technology companies and universities who want to make people’s lives better by changing the way the world moves."