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11/21/2024 04:21:33 pm

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Google’s Self-Driving Car Division Waymo to Roll Out Cars This Month

Chrysler Pacifica

(Photo : YouTube Screenshot) The new Chrysler Pacifica vans are plug-in hybrid, equipped with Waymo's self-driving software and hardware. This recent development is part of the partnership deal that Fiat Chrysler and Waymo signed earlier this year.

Waymo, Google's self-driving car division, announced at this year's North American International Auto Show that it is planning to deploy its fleet of self-driving Chrysler Pacifica minivans on the road later this month.

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Waymo announced that the minivans will hit the roads in Phoenix, Arizona, and Mountain View, California, according to The Verge. Along with this confirmation, Waymo unveiled the self-driving Pacifica minivans at the trade show.

Waymo has a couple of announcements as well. The company said that for the first time, the firm developed and produced all the technologies that power the self-driving minivans. This means that Waymo was able to develop and build all of the cameras, mapping technology, and sensors, instead of purchasing or outsourcing from third-party manufacturers, a practice which the company adopted in the past.

By developing its own technologies, Waymo was able to significantly reduce the cost of each car. This also gave the firm full control over its hardware and software suite.

Taking the stage at the annual Detroit Auto Show, Waymo chief executive officer John Krafcik said that by building its own LIDAR sensors, the company was able to shed up to 90 percent off its cost. Doing the math, an outsourced LIDAR sensor purchased way back in 2009 cost $75,000, but by developing its own, Waymo shed its cost down to $7,500.

In a statement acquired by Fortune, Krafcik said, "Well at Waymo, we're serious about creating fully self-driving cars that can help millions of people. And to do that we have to oversee both the self-driving software and self-driving hardware."

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