HONDA AND WAYMO, Google’s newly independent self-driving car effort, are working together to figure out how to put the tech giant’s sensors and software into the automaker’s vehicles.
The idea is to match the companies’ areas of expertise. Google can make a highly capable autonomous driving system but knows zilch about making actual cars; Honda builds millions of cars a year but has made limited progress on the autonomous front.
The companies announced the formal talks, which could lead to a formal agreement, this afternoon. Waymo already has a non-exclusive deal with Fiat Chrysler, and will soon launch a test fleet of 100 Chrysler Pacifica minivans that drive themselves, thanks to its tech. The Honda deal could follow a similar path, or lead to a broader application of the technology.
Now that the self-driving car outfit has launched as an independent company under the Alphabet umbrella, it’s time Waymo actually started making money. Partnering with established automakers to handle the manufacturing side of things is a logical move, but there are other hurdles, like navigating nebulous regulations, convincing the public its tech is safe, and building the technical software to support a shared fleet, including dispatch and routing. You know, the details.
