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Google, Ford Likely Building Self-Driving Cars
Posted On Dec 29 2015
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Chris Urmson, director of Self-Driving Cars at Google announced in January 2015 that Google plans to put self-driving cars into the commercial market within the next 5 years. The company is also on pace to begin testing self-driving vehicles in California next year, a fact that will no doubt be helped by its partnership with Mountain View, CA-based Google.
Both companies stand to gain from the joint venture: Google has years of experience developing autonomous vehicle tech and its self-driving cars have logged over 1 million miles on public roads.
Self-driving technology has a long way to go before we’ll be able to lean back and let cars handle our commutes.
Most people in the industry believe that Google will make the self-driving vehicles unit a standalone business that will also offer rides for hire.
The new partnership between Google and Ford will be beneficial for both as they can move towards greater things.
The deal is apparently non-exclusive, and Google may already be in talks with several other carmakers.
If confirmed, the partnership would the mark the first in what is expected to be a growing number of legacy automakers joining forces with Silicon Valley tech companies to build semi- and fully autonomous cars. While Google will gain expertise on mass production of automobiles, Ford will be able to leverage Google’s real-world autonomous drive research. A deal would show that Google is less interested in manufacturing cars themselves than working with automakers to embed its technology on vehicles designed by established auto manufacturers.
That’s a different tack to Volvo, which has said it will take on full liability for autonomous vehicles that are involved in a crash or hacked. The end-product will truly be a master-piece and will pair the strengths and weaknesses of the two companies when it comes to self-driving cars. Ex-Ford CEO Alan Mulally joined Google’s board in July 2014; September saw the addition of John Krafcik as chief of Google’s Self-Driving Car Project.
