Since Google and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles announced their partnership earlier this month, where Google is going to be adding 100 2017 Chrysler Pacifica’s to their autonomous fleet (which have driven over 1.5 million miles combined), many have wondered what this could mean in the future. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles CEO, Sergio Marchionne, had stated that what the two companies agreed to was limited. Although he did suggest that the partnership could evolve. On the other side of this partnership, Google’s self-driving car Chief Executive John Krafcik, stated that the partnership is “just FCA and Google building 100 cars together”. Eluding that there is nothing else included in this partnership.
Krafcik also noted that they are “talking to a lot of different automakers”. And added that his team has “been very open about what the technology is and the problem we want to solve together. Solving this problem is going to require a lot of partnership.” Krafcik also said that they want to get these self-driving cars out there as soon as possible. However they do want to make sure that these self-driving cars are better and safer than having humans driving. He mentioned the stats that there are over 33,000 deaths related to vehicles and over 2.3 million injuries each year. Something that this industry wants to change.
Google has been rumored to be in talks with various other automakers in the past few months. Names that have popped up include Ford and General Motors. Although we did hear that the talks with General Motors did hit a standstill after they couldn’t decide on who would own that data that is generated from the self-driving cars. It’s still unclear as to when these self-driving cars will be available for the public to purchase. But Google is looking to make it a reality, real soon. Of course, Google isn’t the only one looking to get their autonomous vehicles out on the road right away. Ford and General Motors have been testing their own cars, and General Motors even has autonomous Chevy Bolts hitting the road in San Francisco right now. It likely won’t be much longer before autonomous cars become a common sight.