Google Looking for Partners to Bring Autonomous Vehicle to Market
Google is actively seeking established manufacturing partners to help bring its self-driving car to market.
Earlier this month, Google announced that it was hiring former Hyundai CEO John Krafcik to head the company’s self-driving car project and now it’s working on a business plan to bring its autonomous technology to the masses. Company co-founder Sergey Brin confirmed that Google intends to partner with an existing automaker to bring the self-driving cars to market, although initially they may be focused on ride-sharing services more than ownership.
“We’re really focused on working with partners,” Brin said. “I expect to bring it to scale, more so partnering, including with top-tier OEMs.”
SEE ALSO: Ex-Hyundai CEO to Head Google’s Self-Driving Car Program
And if you’re hoping that Google’s self-driving cars will launch without a steering wheel and pedals, think again. It is more likely that the cars will launch initially with the ability for humans to take over when necessary. In fact, Brin believes that we won’t see fully autonomous cars the roadways any time soon.
In total, Google has about 1.2 million miles of testing with its self-driving car fleet on public roads near its Mountain View, Calif., headquarters and more recently in Austin, Tex.
[Source: Autoblog]
Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.
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