Google and Fiat Chrysler working on a new self driving car

Published Date: 5th May 2016

This new announcement is the first collaboration between the biggest search engine and a car manufacturer. Google have previously used the Lexus RX450h but only to modify the car themselves with no involvement from Lexus.

This time around engineers from both Google and Fiat Chrysler will work together in the design and build process, at a site in southeast Michigan, USA.

100 new autonomous Pacifica vehicles will initially be developed using the new team. The joint venture will see the work shared based on the current area of expertise. Google’s engineers taking on the computer, sensors and software side. The Fiat Chrysler engineers will be developing the hardware to go along with it.

The new cars from Fiat Chrysler will be added to the current fleet of autonomous pod cars with no current plans to make them available to the public. The Pod car was designed and built from the ground up by Google alone.

It is known that Google have had discussions with many car makers about self driving cars including General Motors. According to automotive news a deal couldn’t be made due to the ultimate question of who would own the technology at the end.

What do Fiat think about working with Google on their new self driving car project.

Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne, said: “Working with Google provides an opportunity for FCA to partner with one of the world’s leading technology companies to accelerate the pace of innovation in the automotive industry.

“The experience both companies gain will be fundamental to delivering automotive technology solutions that ultimately have far-reaching consumer benefits.”

FCA has virtually no current plans for self driving vehicles of its own looks to benefit from the experience gained during the project. Sergio Marchionne believes in the collaboration and that other manufacturers should follow suit and team up, instead of burning through cash developing different iterations of the same technology.