Ford Motor Co. rolled out sweeping plans Wednesday to expand into robo-taxi fleets and other autonomous-car services, the latest in a series of technical ventures unveiled before an annual meeting with investors who have largely kept the company's stock in neutral.

The No. 2 U.S. auto maker says the move into new business services will deliver 20% profit margins once rolled out -- far higher than the low single-digit return typical for car manufacturers -- and help it pivot to services less exposed to the U.S. auto industry's boom-bust cycles.