Since Google’s parent company Alphabet decided it wanted to be the developer of autonomous vehicle technology rather than the primary manufacturer of the physical vehicle, the tech giant has been looking to partner with like-minded automotive manufacturers.
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Thanks to a recently inked deal with Fiat Chrysler, Google has found its next self-driving auto: a minivan.
General Motors Co.’s USA sales fell 3.5% in the month due to a pullback on fleet business. The firm was one of several major United States auto makers posting positive monthly sales that could lead to a record-breaking 2016.
Most major automakers were expected to see sales increases.
“Consumer preference for SUVs and pickup trucks continued unabated in April and helped to propel us to our strongest April sales in 11 years”, said Reid Bigland, head of sales for the automaker in North America.
Ford Motor Co. sold more than 65,000 SUVs, the best April in company history, led by the Explorer with a 22 per cent increase.
Vehicle makers benefited from an extra selling day in April, as well as the Easter holiday falling in March, giving them five full weekends of sales.
For now, the sales outlook is still sunny.
Following this year’s story line, sales of FCA’s now-doomed small cars, the Dodge Dart and Chrysler 200, to be phased out next year, plunged 50.7% and 61.2%, respectively. Consumers are on track to spend more than $36.9 billion on new vehicles in April, surpassing the previous record for the month set past year, according to J.D. Power and LMC Automotive. Sales of the Chrysler 200 midsize auto fell 60 percent to around 7,600.
But there are some worrying trends for the industry.
Other companies in the autonomous vehicle race include Tesla Motors (TSLA), Apple (AAPL), Toyota (TM) and Ford (F).
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“The partners claim self-driving cars have the potential to prevent some of the 33,000 deaths that occur each year on U.S. roads alone, “94” of which are caused by human error”. J.D. Power expected April sales to individual buyers to rise 4 per cent, while sales to fleets were expected to jump 8.7 per cent.
