Chrysler Delivers 100 Uniquely Built Pacifica Hybrid Minivans to
Waymo (Google) for Self-driving Test Fleet
•
Waymo and Chrysler reveal first look at fully self-driving Pacifica Hybrid minivan
•
Program kickoff to full vehicle assembly completed by technical teams in six months
Waymo (formerly the Google self-driving car project) and FCA (Fiat Chrysler Automobiles) announced today
that production of 100 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivans uniquely built to enable fully self-driving operations
has been completed. The vehicles are
currently being outfitted with Waymo’s fully
self-driving technology, including a purpose-
built computer and a suite of sensors,
telematics and other systems, and will join
Waymo’s self-driving test fleet in early 2017.
Waymo and FCA also revealed today the first
images of the fully self-driving Chrysler
Pacifica Hybrid vehicle.
This first-of-its kind collaboration brought
engineers from FCA and Waymo together to integrate Waymo’s fully self-driving system into the all-new
2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivan thereby leveraging each company’s individual strengths and
resources. Engineering modifications to the minivan’s electrical, powertrain, chassis and structural systems
were implemented to optimize the Pacifica Hybrid for Waymo’s fully self-driving technology.
“The Pacifica Hybrid will be a great addition to our fully self-driving test fleet. FCA’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,” said John
Krafcik, Chief Executive Officer, Waymo.
“They've been great partners, and we look
forward to continued teamwork with them as
we move into 2017.”
Waymo and FCA co-located part of their
engineering teams at a facility in
southeastern Michigan to accelerate the
overall development process. In addition,
extensive testing was carried out at FCA’s
Chelsea Proving Grounds in Chelsea,
Michigan, and Arizona Proving Grounds in
Yucca, Arizona, as well as Waymo test sites in California.
“As consumers’ transportation needs evolve, strategic collaborations such as this one are vital to promoting
a culture of innovation, safety and technology,” said Sergio Marchionne, Chief Executive Officer, FCA. “Our
partnership with Waymo enables FCA to directly address the opportunities and challenges the automotive
industry faces as we quickly approach a future where fully self-driving vehicles are very much a part of our
daily lives.”
Self-driving cars have the potential to prevent some of the 1.2 million deaths that occur each year on roads
worldwide, 94 percent of which are caused by human error. This collaboration will help FCA and Waymo
better understand what it will take to bring
self-driving cars into the world.
According to Google; Waymo is a self-driving
technology company with a mission to make it
safe and easy for people and things to move
around. We’re determined to improve
transportation for people around the world,
building on software and sensor technology
developed in Google’s labs since 2009. In
October 2015, we achieved the world’s first
fully self-driving trip on public roads, in a car
without a steering wheel or pedals. We refine Waymo technology through one billion miles of simulation
testing each year, and our cars have self-driven over two million miles on public roads across four U.S.
cities.
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Posted 12/20/2016
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