Renault and Nissan to work with Google to develop autonomous taxi service

The alliance of Renault, Nissan and Mitsubishi will partner with Google to develop autonomous taxis and other self-driving vehicle services. At least, that’s what Nikkei reports based on sources.

According to Nikkei, the car manufacturers will collaborate with Google on a wide number of topics that fall within the domain of mobility-as-a-service. One idea under consideration is the joint development of driverless taxis based on Nissan vehicles. The companies would also jointly develop an associated system that handles reservations and payments.

Further details are not yet available. Reuters reports that an alliance spokesperson has said Nikkei’s message is “based on rumor and speculation.” The spokesperson says there is nothing to announce, but does not deny the alleged collaboration. Google’s Waymo did not respond to a request for comment.

According to Nikkei, the four companies are in the final phase of talks about the collaboration; the parties are said to plan to release the partnership in the spring of this year. Google parent company Alphabet has been active in self-driving car technology for some time through its subsidiary Waymo. Self-driving taxis from Waymo have been driving around in the American city of Phoenix for some time; since the end of last year, the company has made the taxi service available in a limited form for commercial use.

Google is also already working with other manufacturers such as Jaguar Land Rover and Fiat Chrysler in the development of autonomous driving cars. For example, the self-driving taxis in Phoenix are Chrysler Pacifica minivans. Renault, Nissan and Mitsubishi are already collaborating with Google in another area: last year the car alliance announced that it will integrate Android into the infotainment systems in new cars from 2021.