Google looking to partner up with manufacturers for self driving cars

Google is reportedly looking for manufacturers to partner up with to help create its self-driving cars. So far, Google has produced its own cars but the company had no intention to produce large numbers of them single-handed, as you would probably expect.

“We don’t particularly want to become a car maker,” Chris Urmson, Director of Google’s self-driving car project said while speaking to The Wall Street Journal. “We are talking with and looking for partners”.

The director didn't give away too much information, so we don't know which car manufacturers Google is currently in talks with but he did confirm that work has begun on a new ‘beta one' prototype.

The upcoming ‘Beta One' car will apparently move the whole project on by three generations over the basic cars we are already familiar with. These cars are set to be road tested early next year and will be designed for use in city centers, being limited to speeds of 25 miles per hour.

Google will apparently only continue to pursue this project if it can do so with no half measures. The company is insisting on a car entirely devoid of any driver input: “A partially automated car doesn’t help a blind man get lunch or help an aging widow get to her social events.”

Google isn't the only company working on automated vehicles though, the UK government confirmed earlier this year that driverless cars are due to be tested in four different UK cities in January next year.

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KitGuru Says: It will be interesting to see who Google partners up with to help create its automated vehicles. Which car manufacturer would you guys like to see partner up with Google?

Source: The Wall Street Journal

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