Google's latest self-driving car model has been revealed by Waymo. It is a Fiat Chrysler Pacifica mini van which aims to provide a safe and self-driving ride-sharing experience.
Waymo. Google began its self-driving car project seven years ago. It is now called Waymo, which stands for "a new way forward in mobility." Waymo is a self-driving technology company whose mission is to make it accessible, easy, and safe for people and things to move around.
Imagine a future where fully self-driving car technology will be able to get passengers where they want to go with just a push of a button. This is what Waymo aims to provide - safe transportation without the need for someone behind the wheel.
John Krafcik, Waymo's CEO, looks forward to having the self-driving cars out and about on public roads in 2017. Krafcik has revealed that his team has been hard at work for the past six months working on a design and modifications for the self-driving system. After 200 hours of extreme weather testing, they are confident in releasing a fleet of around 100 self-driving mini-vans.
"The Pacifica Hybrid will be a great addition to our fully self-driving test fleet. (Fiat Chrysler's) product development and manufacturing teams have been agile partners, enabling us to go from program kickoff to full vehicle assembly in just six months," Krafcik said in an official statement. "They've been great partners, and we look forward to continued teamwork with them as we move into 2017."
Self-Driving Cars of the Future. Waymo believes that self-driving cars will be the norm by 2020. Other car manufacturers that have joined the fully self-driving car race include Ford and General Motors. In California alone, it was revealed that around 20 different companies have filed for permits to test self-driving cars.
Although self-driving cars are something most of the world can only see in science fiction movies, Waymo and other car manufacturers will take the world one step closer. Perhaps their predictions are correct and the world can expect fully self-driving cars by 2020.
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