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2017 Chrysler Pacifica

Google opened its democratic driving project to outsiders this calendar week with an understanding to install its current self-driving engineering and test gear in a armada of 100 new Chrysler Pacifica minivans. Until now, Google had pretty much worked by itself on self-driving cars. The choice of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles was intriguing because FCA was playing catch-up to other automakers who are farther down the road building cocky-drive cars.

In choosing minivans every bit the test bed, FCA and Google are subtly underscoring what could be an early use of self-drive vehicles: shuttles taking a one-half-dozen passengers around a spread-out corporate or academic campus, shuttling children to school, or taking passengers between a hotel and airdrome. The kickoff cocky-bulldoze minivans might be covering the same route repeatedly, dealing with known challenges.

2017 Chrysler Pacifica Limited

Room for test gear. Later, room for kids and cargo

2016 Fiat 500 Abarth CabrioNot surprisingly, Google and Fiat Chrysler didn't run off at the mouth well-nigh the details of the deal. They did say FCA's Chrysler unit of measurement will provide 100 new Pacifica minivans peculiarly configured to work with Google'due south cocky-driving hardware and instrumentation. Most Google test cars to date have been minor cars, including the then-chosen bubble car that looks a lot similar a Fiat 500 (inset), and several Lexus and Toyota cars.

Chrysler would pattern the minivan variant for apply in testing, and then Google would install the self-bulldoze components such as sensors and steering gear. Both companies volition have access to the data from test-driving the vehicles.

The new 2017 Chrysler Pacifica replaces both the Chrysler Town & Land and Dodge Caravan. Taken as a single entity, Chrysler minivans handily outsold both the Toyota Sienna and Honda Odyssey last year. The total minivan market place is about 500,000 units a year, one-half what information technology was fifteen years ago.

2017 Chrysler Pacifica Limited

Later, a gamble to build cars for Google?

Google'south end game isn't certain. Automakers wonder, and worry, about whether Google would actually go far the business of selling self-driving cars. If and then, it'southward easier to contract for production rather than ready upwards its own lines. Tesla, for all its many virtues, appears to be having quality control problems related to production of the Model S, and now with startup production of the Tesla Model 10 crossover, which has complex features such as the double-hinged gullwing doors.

FCA could well be a potential contractor to produce vehicles. Information technology might not be as threatening equally an Audi, BMW, Cadillac, Lexus, or Mercedes-Benz that are moving chop-chop toward shipping adjacent-generation self-driving cars within the next two years. They would most probable be Level 3 self-driving, meaning the driver could be hands off the wheel, but still in the driver's seat and fix to accept control in a matter of seconds should the situation become too complex. Information technology'south unclear whether the switch-over fourth dimension would exist 5, 10 or xxx seconds. A disengaged driver, possibly snoozing, would need at least 10 seconds to assume command of the auto.

Terminal month, reports from Europe said that both BMW and Mercedes concluded talks with Apple over the possibility of beingness Apple's manufacturer for the iCar. The German website Handelsblatt (which conveniently has an English version, then feel free to click) said BMW bailed last fall, Mercedes more recently, over bug of control and customer (owner) data protection. If not those two, another possible for the Apple car is Magna Steyr, an Austrian-Canadian company that has congenital cars for BMW, Mercedes, and Mini.