In a market that was increasingly appearing as one in which Google and other tech companies would take on the traditional automakers, the deal between Google and FCA involves a collaboration between engineering teams that Google said “will help both teams better understand how to create a fully self-driving vehicle that can take you from A to B with the touch of a button”. The latter will provide Google with a fleet of 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivans (another thing we got right), which will be fitted with Google’s self-driving technology.
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Google and automaker Fiat on Wednesday announced that they will cooperate to produce 100 Chrysler Pacifica minivans that will help strengthen the tech giant’s driverless vehicle program. Both companies will work together at an engineering facility in southeastern MI to integrate Google’s system into the Pacifica.
Google and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) have partnered to integrate self-driving software into 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivans. It will be tested first on a private track which will then be tried out on public roads. FCA will initially design around 100 vehicles uniquely built for Google, for the Silicon Valley firm to incorporate its suite of radars and computers that the models will rely on to self-navigate on roads.
The “production car” part of this collaboration is the most important element, as this is the first time Google works with an automaker to integrate its software solution and dedicated sensors into a passenger vehicle with the aid of the manufacturer.
Google is far from alone in the race to bring fully autonomous cars to public roads.
It was first reported a few days ago that Google and Fiat Chrysler were talking about a potential partnership on self-driving cars. Google is now testing self-driving vehicles in four USA cities.
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The two companies said they will co-locate part of their engineering teams at a facility in southeastern MI to accelerate the design, testing and manufacturing of the self-driving Chrysler Pacifica.
