DETROIT — The development of self-driving cars in recent years has been primarily a competition between technology companies and automakers working independently of each other.
But that dynamic changed markedly on Tuesday, when Google said it would expand its testing of autonomous vehicles by installing its technology in a fleet of minivans made by Fiat Chrysler.
The deal is the most prominent example yet of a Silicon Valley company collaborating with a traditional automaker on self-driving vehicles.
It could also prove to be a breakthrough in the generally wary relationship between technology and auto companies, and prompt more collaborative efforts.
The deal is a major departure for Google, which previously had chosen to work mostly on its own in creating and testing self-driving vehicles.
For Fiat Chrysler, the arrangement allows the company to gain access to Google’s expertise in driverless cars rather than develop its own technology.
Analysts said Fiat Chrysler needed a partner to catch up to other car companies that are investing heavily in self-driving vehicles.
“It couldn’t have picked a better one than Google, which is far down the road with self-driving cars,” said Michelle Krebs, an analyst with the firm Autotrader.
No financial terms were disclosed for the deal, which calls for Fiat Chrysler to provide Google with 100 Chrysler Pacifica hybrid minivans built specifically to accommodate self-driving features.
Read More : http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/04/technology/google-fiat-chrysler-minivans-self-driving.html?_r=0
But that dynamic changed markedly on Tuesday, when Google said it would expand its testing of autonomous vehicles by installing its technology in a fleet of minivans made by Fiat Chrysler.
The deal is the most prominent example yet of a Silicon Valley company collaborating with a traditional automaker on self-driving vehicles.
It could also prove to be a breakthrough in the generally wary relationship between technology and auto companies, and prompt more collaborative efforts.
The deal is a major departure for Google, which previously had chosen to work mostly on its own in creating and testing self-driving vehicles.
For Fiat Chrysler, the arrangement allows the company to gain access to Google’s expertise in driverless cars rather than develop its own technology.
Analysts said Fiat Chrysler needed a partner to catch up to other car companies that are investing heavily in self-driving vehicles.
“It couldn’t have picked a better one than Google, which is far down the road with self-driving cars,” said Michelle Krebs, an analyst with the firm Autotrader.
No financial terms were disclosed for the deal, which calls for Fiat Chrysler to provide Google with 100 Chrysler Pacifica hybrid minivans built specifically to accommodate self-driving features.
Read More : http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/04/technology/google-fiat-chrysler-minivans-self-driving.html?_r=0
