Waymo continues with more than 60,000 new self-driving taxis
Waymo was already hard on the road to have the largest fleet of self-driving cars, but they are really going for it: the sister company of Google in cooperation with Fiat Chrysler (FCA) another 62,000 self-driving putting cars on the roads, according to Reuters . These are Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivans that will be delivered at the end of this year.
That would be convenient, because at the end of this year Waymo wants to really roll out their self-driving taxi service. Then people can call minivans via an app and then drive to their destination. If they make it to do that this year, they are the first. The expectation is that it will still be a limited area, probably around Phoenix, Arizona, where it is already being tested with comparable cars.
Collaboration is a must
Waymo and FCA are also investigating the possibilities of licensing the technology in self-driving cars for ‘ordinary’ consumer cars. Sergio Marchionne, CEO of FCA, thinks it is a safe and realistic way to get self-driving technology into the company’s cars.
Self-reinventing the wheel is not done anymore, given the many partnerships that are currently underway in the car world. For example, Porsche and Audi are working together and Apple has a partnership with Volkswagen. It must also be almost because on your own you really have no chance to pass over parties like Waymo and even Uber (with Toyota) .