Samsung has identified the auto industry as a new source of growth as the market for its key products such as smartphones matures. It completed the $8 billion acquisition of Harman International Industries earlier this year, a move that analysts say may help Samsung scale up quickly by taking control of an automotive parts maker with a proven track record.

Would Apple hire YOU? Revealed: 25 bizarre and tricky... Stunning new maps show every lake around the world:... The REAL cost of a meal: Expert warns it takes 200 gallons... What the internet looked like in 1973: Tiny map shows the... Would Apple hire YOU? Revealed: 25 bizarre and tricky... Stunning new maps show every lake around the world:... The REAL cost of a meal: Expert warns it takes 200 gallons... What the internet looked like in 1973: Tiny map shows the... GM executives have said the automaker could eventually deploy self driving electric cars in fleets managed by its ride services partner, Lyft. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules.

Ford announced it will plans to start testing its autonomous vehicles on European roads by next year as it ramps up its robot car strategy. According to Digital Trends the U.S. car manufacturing goliath is moving ahead with European testing as it pursues its ambitious strategy to introduce fully autonomous vehicles for ride-hailing by 2021. "It is important that we extend our testing to Europe," said Ford of Europe's manager for Automated Driving Thomas Lukaszewicz. "Rules of the road vary from country to country here, traffic signs and road layouts are different, and drivers are likely to share congested roads with cyclists." Testing will begin at Ford's Engineering Center in Essex, U.K. After this, trials will be expanded to its Germany-based Research & Advanced Engineering facilities in Cologne and Aachen.

Baidu Inc. BIDU 2.44 % will soon start testing autonomous cars in the U.S., part of the Chinese tech giant's effort to introduce a commercially viable model by 2018. The move, disclosed by Baidu's chief scientist Andrew Ng in an interview late Tuesday, is a significant step for the company, which is trying to get ahead in the race to build autonomous cars and is now calling on the resources of its Silicon Valley tech center to advance the effort. At the same time, Baidu is advocating for better coordination with the U.S. government, which the company says is necessary to get self-driving cars on the road. Central to the push is Mr. Ng, an artificial-intelligence scientist who conducted groundbreaking research at Stanford University and at Alphabet Inc. GOOGL -0.40 % 's Google. Late last year, Beijing-based Baidu became the latest technology company to publicize its intention to develop self-driving cars.