# Google is no longer developing its own self-driving car: report



## DriverX (Aug 5, 2015)

And there it is, Uber's silver bullet.

Google has refocused its autonomous driving efforts away from developing its own car without a steering wheel and pedals, according to a report from _The Information_. Instead, the company is said to be partnering with automakers on more conventional cars with a view to possibly launching an autonomous ride-sharing service by the end of next year.

Fiat Chrysler is producing a new prototype vehicle for Google based on the Pacifica minivan; if the testing is successful, they'll reportedly be used in the eventual commercial service. The two companies announced a partnership to develop self-driving minivans in May.

Alphabet CEO Larry Page and CFO Ruth Porat are said to be behind the decision to pivot, believing the existing plan of self-producing a radically new car without a steering wheel to be impractical. It's reportedly a controversial move inside Google X's autonomous driving division, known as Chauffeur, with Google co-founder Sergey Brin also in favor of the idea of developing a car from end to end.

Google is expected to announce news related to self-driving cars later on Tuesday - we'll keep you updated.

http://www.theverge.com/2016/12/13/13933140/google-self-driving-car-fiat-chrysler-partnership


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## uberdriverfornow (Jan 10, 2016)

I already posted this and within minutes they moved it even though it has more relevance here than in the Autonomous section.

https://uberpeople.net/threads/goog...d-developing-its-own-self-driving-car.124644/


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## DriverX (Aug 5, 2015)

They can run but they can't hide. 

Google's smart to focus on the tech side. It's a lot less messy. This and the news that there top ATG guys quit don't look good. 

Uber's done. IPO dream becoming a nightmare. The only question is how much longer do they have left? Considering that their life has just been short sold, I'd think they'd decide it's time to take some profits and raise the rates! 

They need to start lining their pockets fast.


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## strongarm (May 15, 2015)

Merry Christmas Uber! The difference between ubers approach and Google. Google has been doing all the R&D for the long term goals. Uber used people and those people's cars to buy them time. Can't put the cart before the horse. Of course the drivers are ultimately screwed no two ways around that.


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## LuisEnrikee (Mar 31, 2016)

DriverX said:


> They can run but they can't hide.
> 
> Google's smart to focus on the tech side. It's a lot less messy. This and the news that there top ATG guys quit don't look good.
> 
> ...


So this means they are backing off at least for the near future ? Maybe they'll start taking care of us a little more ...


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## strongarm (May 15, 2015)

Hahaha! If Google is going in that means they are ready. They have been in R&D for a long time making sure it's ready. Safety has been their priority since the beginning. If they are able to roll out autonomous transportation who cares what Uber does to rates. The only way to compete at that point is by having more autonomous cars themselves. Not sure how to say this but soon the transportation system will need fewer and fewer drivers. For anything. Your resume up to date?


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## LuisEnrikee (Mar 31, 2016)

strongarm said:


> Hahaha! If Google is going in that means they are ready. They have been in R&D for a long time making sure it's ready. Safety has been their priority since the beginning. If they are able to roll out autonomous transportation who cares what Uber does to rates. The only way to compete at that point is by having more autonomous cars themselves. Not sure how to say this but soon the transportation system will need fewer and fewer drivers. For anything. Your resume up to date?


I'm ready boyo


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## uberdriverfornow (Jan 10, 2016)

To put this in layman's terms, Google is stating they are not going to have true self-driving cars that have no steering wheel, gas or break pedal, nor require a driver, but will now shift their focus to semi-autonomous cars that will always require a driver to take back control if something goes wrong.

I am just going to put this here, taken from another post I made in another thread. It's not meant directly to anyone in this thread.

If you would have read the ENTIRE article you would see it is saying EXACTLY what I was saying.



> For Google, the goal was to design a vehicle that is responsible for 100 percent of the driving. The company said this approach was more difficult and would take more time. However, Google said it was ultimately safer than semiautonomous vehicles, which may require a driver to take back control of the car without awareness of the surroundings.
> 
> Waymo said its ultimate goal *was* to equip its driverless system on cars without steering wheels or pedals because it didn't want humans to feel as if they needed to monitor the vehicle. However, government regulations currently require a vehicle to have steering wheels and pedals.


Google will no longer attempt to have true self driving cars, the kind with no steering wheel, pedal, or driver. The goal NOW is to work in conjunction with a driver. These are no longer true self driving cars.

It was also stated in the article I posted....



> Google has reportedly shelved its long-standing plan to develop its own autonomous vehicle in favor of pursuing partnerships with existing car makers.
> 
> The Information reports that Google's self-driving car unit - known internally as Chauffeur - is working with established automotive names to develop cars that will include some self-driving features, but won't ditch the steering wheel and pedal controls. The firm is already working with Fiat Chrysler, per a partnership announced in May, and that could be the start of others to come.
> 
> Google *first set out* to do away with the steering wheel and pedals approach, *but this backtrack* is from Alphabet CEO Larry Page and CFO Ruth Porat, who found the original approach to be "*impractical*," according to the report. That's despite Google's autonomous vehicles clocking over two million miles of tests on public roads.


Thanks for playing and have a nice day.


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## uberdriverfornow (Jan 10, 2016)

Clearly Google knows more than ever, now, that the liability will always be on them if they make these cars with no driver in them and one of these death traps(assuming they have no driver) crash and kill someone.

If there is a driver, and they are stating a driver is still going to be required, the driver will be at fault, as is the case now.


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## strongarm (May 15, 2015)

My day has been great. Your not saying there will never be driverless cars are you? Another reason they aren't going to mass produce those small cars is bc there are certain companies that are already pretty good at mass producing cars and also already have the facilities to do so. Why would Google start building cars? Yes there are five different levels of autonomous technology for vehicles and just like there will be drivers in Uber and Google cars Tesla needs you to pay attention during autopilot. Progress is progress and soon there will be no drivers.


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## strongarm (May 15, 2015)

The people behind the wheel of the Uber cars are engineers


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## elelegido (Sep 24, 2014)

DriverX said:


> Alphabet CEO Larry Page and CFO Ruth Porat are said to be behind the decision to pivot


I love this new idiom, "pivot". It sounds so much better than "call it quits and try something else". I'm going to tell my wife that when my Ubering comes to an end I am going to pivot. She probably won't know what the F I'm talking about.


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## Jermin8r89 (Mar 10, 2016)

With autonimous takeing over what will we do. Maybe we will have more time just to train for world wide hunger games.
http://uproxx.com/tv/reality-series-game2-winter-murder-pyatkovsky/


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