Fiat Chrysler Automobiles aims to handle Google to develop 100 prototype autonomous minivans, it will be just the start of a longer relationship that could help it leapfrog other car makers in the race to self-driving vehicles.
Fiat Chrysler’s CEO, Sergio Marchionne, observed that the preliminary offer to produce 100 self-driving Pacifica hybrid minivans is “very targeted,” and limited in scope. He stated Google, which has been developing self-governing automobile technology for seven years, has more negotiating leverage than Fiat Chrysler, or any automaker, because of its earnings and market price.
However, Marchionne framed the deal with Google as the beginning of a relationship that might grow into a more full-fledged partnership with the potential of helping FCA broaden its expertise with self-governing technology.
“We are approaching this in a totally open-ended style,” Marchionne stated. “They found it simple to deal with us and to check out and learn. Whether this is enough for them to feel comfortable to take the next action is unclear to me.”
Fiat Chrysler revealed an offer Tuesday with the Silicon Valley tech giant’s 7-year-old autonomous car program. The offer is commonly viewed as a coup for the Detroit-area automaker, which lags competitors when it concerns the advancement of key innovation. It likewise came amid a string of other offers and partnerships recently revealed in between Detroit car makers and Silicon Valley tech firms.
Fiat Chrysler stated and Google strategy to co-locate engineering groups at a site in southeastern Michigan and will work out of that location to do the design, testing and manufacturing of the self-driving Chrysler Pacifica– giving Fiat Chrysler a chance to acquire insights from Google.
