Page 24 - ARUBA TODAY

A24 TECHNOLOGY
Friday 1 June 2018
New business deals bring autonomous vehicles a step closer

By TOM KRISHER investors are starting to re-
DETROIT (AP) — Two tech- alize that GM is a serious
nology giants announced player in automated mobil-
major new investments in ity, Abuelsamid said.
self-driving vehicles Thurs- But analysts were cautious
day, bringing the world a about predicting a future
step closer to a time when of self-driving cars every-
autonomous cars are a part where. Lindland said the
of everyday life — a reality recent Arizona crash in
that General Motors aims which a self-driving Uber
to achieve in some places SUV struck and killed a pe-
as early as next year. destrian, as well as crashes
The deals, and other ongo- involving Tesla Inc.'s semi-
ing negotiations, show that autonomous "Autopilot"
the technology is authentic feature, have rattled public
and it's accelerating. confidence in the technol-
"It's all starting to coalesce ogy.
into something that's more "Even as the industry is push-
real," said Navigant Re- ing forward and collabo-
search analyst Sam Abuel- rating and getting billions
samid, who closely follows of dollars in investment, we
autonomous vehicle devel- can't leave the consumer
opments. In this July 20, 2017, file photo, SoftBank Group Corp. Chief Executive Officer Masayoshi Son, left, behind," Lindland said.
SoftBank, a giant Japanese speaks during a SoftBank World presentation at a hotel in Tokyo. The announcements keep
tech investment firm, an- Associated Press the front-runners on pace
nounced Thursday it would to start carrying passengers
spend $2.25 billion for a 20 mous world is moving very with no human backup be- General Motors Co. shares within the next couple of
percent stake in GM's au- quickly," said Rebecca hind the wheel in Arizona. to their biggest one-day years in small-scale opera-
tonomous vehicle business. Lindland, executive analyst The company plans to start gain since the automak- tions in a few metro areas,
Then Waymo, Google's for Kelley Blue Book. an app-based autono- er returned to the public Abuelsamid said. But he
self-driving operation, said Also, as part of the Waymo- mous ride-hailing service markets in 2010 after a trip said it still will take until the
it would buy up to 62,000 Fiat Chrysler announce- there later this year. through bankruptcy pro- middle of the next decade
more minivans from Fiat ment, the companies said At GM, widely viewed as tection. The stock closed before self-driving taxis are
Chrysler to expand its soon- they are discussing use being in second place, the Thursday up nearly 13 per- ubiquitous worldwide.
to-start ride-hailing venture. of Waymo technology in SoftBank cash infusion will cent at 42.70. Although he views Waymo
Not to be outdone, Uber's Fiat-Chrysler self-driving ve- help the autonomous unit GM Cruise would remain as having the lead in the
new CEO said at a Wednes- hicles that would be sold named GM Cruise to roll a wholly owned subsidiary autonomous vehicle race,
day conference that he's to the public. That raises out a robotaxi service in at of GM with the automaker Abuelsamid said GM's alli-
in talks with Waymo about the possibility that personal least one major city starting keeping roughly 80 per- ance with SoftBank could
adding Waymo self-driving car ownership won't die if next year, CEO Mary Barra cent of the business. Soft- boost the automaker's
vehicles to the Uber net- robotaxis become ubiqui- said. Bank can trade its stake for standing. SoftBank owns
work to carry passengers, tous. The deal, the largest yet shares in GM if Cruise isn't big stakes in Uber as well
although there was no indi- Waymo, the current front- between a technology in- spun off into a new com- as in India's Ola ride service
cation that was imminent. runner, already is testing vestment firm and an old- pany within seven years. and Didi Chuxing, China's
"Everything in the autono- self-driving Chrysler vans line automaker, boosted The stock soared because top ride-hailing firm.q

Waymo's self-driving car service to include 62,000 minivans

year will include up to vehicles. all the vehicles from
62,000 Chrysler Pacifica The company already had Chrysler and Jaguar, its
Hybrid minivans. bought 600 Pacifica Hybrid self-driving car service will
The deal announced minivans from Fiat Chrysler be potentially capable of
Thursday is the latest sign of with a commitment to add providing millions of rides
Waymo's confidence in its "thousands" more. per day.
self-driving car technology, Waymo and Fiat also are Uber CEO Dara
which sprung from a secret discussing other ways to Khosrowshahi says he is
Google project started nine expand their partnership, trying to persuade Waymo
years ago. The technology including possibly striking a to put its self-driving cars
will initially be deployed deal to sell Chrysler vehicles to work in his company's
in a ride-hailing service in with self-driving technology pacesetting ride-hailing
the Phoenix area before to consumers. service, but there is no
the end of this year and Chrysler is the largest vehicle indication yet whether that
In this Sunday, Jan. 8, 2017, file photo, John Krafcik, CEO of then expand into other U.S. supplier for Waymo's ride- will happen.
Waymo, the autonomous vehicle company created by markets. hailing service so far. Waymo accused Uber of
Google's parent company, Alphabet, introduces a Chrysler
Pacifica hybrid outfitted with Waymo's own suite of sensors and Waymo plans to pick up Waymo agreed to buy up stealing its self-driving car
radar, at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. people in cars that won't to 20,000 electric vehicles technology in a lawsuit
Associated Press have a human in the from Jaguar Land Rover, that was settled for $245
driver's seat, making it the but none of them will be million after several days of
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A Google spinoff Waymo first ride-hailing service with ready before 2020. testimony during a February
self-driving car service that plans to launch later this a fleet of fully autonomous If Waymo ends up using trial.q