Google's first self-driving cars will be a partnership with Fiat Chrysler that will add the tech giant's autonomous driving tech to the auto company's road-tested Pacifica hybrid minivan. This could allow the Alphabet company to help parents transport their kids on family outings and summer vacations. It also allows Google to showcase its autonomous vehicle (AV) tech in a more traditional way than its pod cars.
The Google-Fiat Chrysler partnership represents the biggest one between a Silicon Valley company and traditional carmaker. In a statement on May 3, Tuesday the search giant reported it is the first time it has added the sensors and software of its self-driving system to a passenger vehicle, according to Reuters.
Google and Fiat Chrysler engineers will team up to integrate the California tech company's self-driving tech into its Pacific Minivan. They will collaborate at Chrysler's engineering center in Southeast Michigan.
Google's self-driving division page shares that a minivan gives the company a chance to test a bigger vehicle. Features such as hands-free sliding doors could make it easier to enter/exit the driverless vehicle, according to Tech Times.
This suggests that Google is not only concerned about developing point-to-point travel technology for robotic cars. It also wants to take on some engineering challenges that would provide a broader scope of vehicles for its state-of-the-art technology.
Google's self-driving cars could be helpful for disabled or elderly people. However, the Pacific minivan would be a testing ground for accessibility issues such as wheelchair accommodation and the seeing-impaired.
Fiat Chrysler will build about 100 AVs to include Google's autonomous tech, according to Tech Crunch. The vehicles will be tested on the Italian-American automaker's California test track.
This new partnership is happening when tech and auto companies are speeding up their development of hardware and artificial intelligence for robot cars. During the past year General Motors, BMW, and Volkswagen have purchased self-driving tech to speed up their development of autonomous driving.
In the past Google engineers had bought Lexus SUVs made by Toyota, then customized them with sensors and software. Meanwhile, the tech company has stated several times it has no plans to build self-driving cars but instead wants to collaborate with auto companies.