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The autonomous technology gap between Ford Motor Co. and its rivals from Detroit and Silicon Valley can be measured in years. Yet even a company playing catch-up in the race to turn self-driving technology into high-margin businesses is drawing interest from outside investors, an indicator of just how much money is pouring in.

Elon Musk said he’s considering taking Tesla Inc. private in a radical step that would ease pressure on the money-losing automaker.

The Uber Technologies Inc. self-driving test vehicle that killed a pedestrian in Arizona earlier this year may have been able to avoid the crash had the ride-hailing company not disabled Volvo Cars’ safety system, according to a safety group.

Self-driving vehicles typically are described as a disruptive technology that will make traditional modes of public transportation obsolete, but a recent announcement by Chandler-based Waymo is challenging that narrative.

Highly computerized cars or trucks could mean consumers’ data is vulnerable or the driver safety might be endangered if car companies aren’t prepared to cut off at the pass any data breach or threat to cybersecurity.

Uber Technologies Inc., a pioneer developer of autonomous trucks that helped the idea gain traction with the industry, announced it has halted its self-driving truck program. Instead, it will focus the technology on its fleet of passenger cars.

Automation in the trucking industry is ramping up quickly. But how will the next levels of automation be deployed? Episode 2 of RoadSigns has the answers. Click to listen.