Google likely to make its self-driving cars unit, which will offer rides for hire, a stand-alone business under its parent company, Alphabet Inc, next year
Google is said to be in talks with automaker Ford Motor Co to help build the Internet search company’s autonomous cars, Automotive News reported, citing a person with knowledge of the project.
The
contract manufacturing deal, if finalised, is expected to come during
the annual International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas during
the first week of January, Automotive News said. (http://bit.ly/1MsCGQ3)
Declines comment on speculation
A Google spokesman told Automotive News
that the company would not comment on speculation, although Google
officials confirmed that the company was talking to automakers.
Earlier
this year, Google began discussions with most of the world’s top
automakers and assembled a team of traditional and non-traditional
suppliers to speed efforts to bring self-driving cars to the market by
2020.
In June, Google began testing tiny,
bubble-shaped self-driving prototype vehicles of its own design on
public roads around Mountain View. The company has also started testing
self-driving prototypes in Austin.
Seeks to make it a stand-alone business
“Google
is expected to make its self-driving cars unit, which will offer rides
for hire, a stand-alone business under its parent company, Alphabet Inc,
next year,” Bloomberg reported earlier.
Ford,
although lagging behind most competitors, ramped up its pace to develop
self-driving cars earlier this year and said it would expand advanced
safety technology, including automatic-braking, enabling hands-free
operation of cars under certain conditions by automating such basic
functions as steering, braking and throttle.
This was to be included across its global line-up over the next five years.
Reuters could not independently reach Ford Motor and Google for comment outside regular U.S. business hours.
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