Page 24 - ARUBA TODAY

A24 TECHNOLOGY
Tuesday 26 June 2018
Waymo’s self-driving car service to include 62,000 minivans

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

New business deals bring autonomous vehicles a step closer

By TOM KRISHER mous world is moving very help the autonomous unit
DETROIT (AP) — Two tech- quickly,” said Rebecca named GM Cruise to roll
nology giants announced Lindland, executive analyst out a robotaxi service in at
major new investments in for Kelley Blue Book. least one major city starting
self-driving vehicles, bring- Also, as part of the Waymo- next year, CEO Mary Barra
ing the world a step closer Fiat Chrysler announce- said. The deal, the largest
to a time when autono- ment, the companies said yet between a technology
mous cars are a part of ev- they are discussing use of investment firm and an old-
eryday life — a reality that Waymo technology in Fi- line automaker, boosted
General Motors aims to at-Chrysler self-driving ve- General Motors Co. shares
achieve in some places as hicles that would be sold to their biggest one-day
early as next year. to the public. That raises gain since the automak-
The deals, and other ongo- the possibility that personal er returned to the public
ing negotiations, show that car ownership won’t die markets in 2010 after a trip
the technology is authentic In this July 20, 2017, file photo, SoftBank Group Corp. Chief Ex- if robotaxis become ubiq- through bankruptcy pro-
and it’s accelerating. ecutive Officer Masayoshi Son, left, speaks during a SoftBank uitous. Waymo, the cur- tection. The stock closed
“It’s all starting to coalesce World presentation at a hotel in Tokyo. rent front-runner, already is Thursday up nearly 13 per-
into something that’s more Associated Press testing self-driving Chrysler cent at 42.70. GM Cruise
real,” said Navigant Re- in GM’s autonomous vehi- said at a Wednesday con- vans with no human back- would remain a wholly
search analyst Sam Abuel- cle business. Then Waymo, ference that he’s in talks up behind the wheel in Ari- owned subsidiary of GM
samid, who closely follows Google’s self-driving op- with Waymo about adding zona. The company plans with the automaker keep-
autonomous vehicle devel- eration, said it would buy Waymo self-driving vehi- to start an app-based au- ing roughly 80 percent of
opments. SoftBank, a giant up to 62,000 more minivans cles to the Uber network to tonomous ride-hailing ser- the business. SoftBank can
Japanese tech investment from Fiat Chrysler to ex- carry passengers, although vice there later this year. trade its stake for shares in
firm, announced Thursday pand its soon-to-start ride- there was no indication At GM, widely viewed as GM if Cruise isn’t spun off
it would spend $2.25 bil- hailing venture. Not to be that was imminent. being in second place, the into a new company within
lion for a 20 percent stake outdone, Uber’s new CEO “Everything in the autono- SoftBank cash infusion will seven years.q