FCA delivers 100 Chrysler Pacifica vehicles to Waymo before Christmas

As part of the partnership between Waymo and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), the first batch of self-driving vehicles have been delivered to Waymo for road testing. Executives from both companies have just announced that 100 Chrysler Pacifica minivans tailored for autonomous operation have been delivered. Waymo, which spun off from Google last week, is equipping the vehicles with its own sensors and self-driving technology, Waymo said. The 100 vehicles will be incorporated into the current test fleet in early 2017.

Waymo CEO John Krafcik said: "Once this new model enters the road test phase, we will be able to allow testers of different ages and body types to fully experience fully autonomous driving technology."

The testing will take place in Chelsea, Michigan, Yucca, Arizona, and Google's test sites in California, with production of the 100 Pacificas beginning in October.

The delivery of these vehicles comes at a time when major automakers are racing to pursue autonomous driving technology. Uber and Volvo are currently developing an autonomous XC90 SUV, but last week Uber was ordered to stop testing due to California government regulations because it did not obtain an autonomous driving test permit from the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).

Google-Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV and Uber Technologies Inc are competing to explore the potential of self-driving cars for ride-hailing, but Waymo would still be the leader even if Uber's tests hadn't been banned by California law.

Mike Ramsey, research director at Gartner, a global technology consulting firm, said: "Google has two major advantages: 1. Google has been doing road condition verification for many years and integrating its advanced technology into vehicles, which other companies cannot quickly replicate and surpass. 2. In the past year, they have run billions of miles of simulation tests using the most powerful artificial intelligence. Google's technology in this area is unmatched, and it is hard to imagine other companies closing the gap with it in this area."

Now, the latest version of the technology will be put to the test on the road. But neither Google nor FCA has provided the number of sensors installed on the Pacifica model, nor has it disclosed the specific integration of the data transmitted by the computer sensors on the vehicle. Based on the early prototype, Krafcik admitted that the computer has run a large number of experiments, including a total of more than 200 hours of testing in extreme weather.

At present, the company has made corresponding changes to the electrical equipment, powertrain system, chassis and structural system of this model to optimize the vehicle so that the test vehicle can be used for related testing and operation of Waymo's fully autonomous driving technology.

Sergio Marchionne, CEO of FCA, said: "As consumer demand for transportation continues to change, strategic alliances like Waymo-FCA are critical because they promote the development of a corporate culture that drives innovation, safety and technology. Our cooperation with Waymo enables FCA to seize opportunities and meet challenges in the automotive industry. Today, we are entering a new era where fully autonomous vehicles are likely to become part of our daily lives in the future."

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.