Waymo will partner with traditional carmakers to bring the technology into the commercial sphere For years, Google has been at the forefront of self-driving car technology, even designing its own adorably curvy, steering wheel-free vehicle in 2014. Yesterday, Google?s parent company Alphabet announced it would be spinning off the Self-Driving Car Project into a new independent company, Waymo, while underscoring that they have no intention of becoming a car manufacturer.
"We?re not in the business of making better cars, we?re in the business of making better drivers,? said Waymo CEO John Krafcik. ?We?re a self-driving technology company.?
Rather than design and manufacture its own autonomous vehicles, Waymo will partner with traditional carmakers to bring the technology into the commercial sphere. Fiat Chrysler is already working with Alphabet to create a fleet of 100 self-driving Chrysler Pacifica minivans that could function as part of a ride-sharing service operated by Waymo. Bloomberg reported that the service could launch as soon as late 2017.
In a statement to Curbed, David Strickland, general counsel for the Self-Driving Coalition (which Google is a part of) says:
Google?s Self-Driving Car Project was founded back in 2009 to improve safety and mobility. Their testing fleet has included Prius hybrids, Lexus SUVs, Chrysler minivans and their own prototype vehicles. Waymo?s mission as a self-driving technology company is the logical, exciting c...