Fiat Chrysler partners with Google driverless project

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) has announced a first-of-its-kind collaboration with Google to double the size of the technology giant’s self-driving car project.

The carmaker will integrate Google’s self-driving technology into all-new 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivans to expand the company’s existing self-driving test program. This marks the first time that Google has worked directly with an automaker to integrate its self-driving system, including its sensors and software, into a passenger vehicle.

The Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivans will be used later this year for Google’s self-driving testing, more than doubling Google’s current fleet of self-driving test vehicles. Using a minivan, Google said, gives the company an opportunity to test a larger vehicle that could be easier for passengers to enter and exit.

FCA will initially design and engineer around 100 vehicles uniquely built for Google’s self-driving technology. Google will integrate the suite of sensors and computers that the vehicles will rely on to navigate roads autonomously. Both companies will co-locate part of their engineering teams at a facility in southeastern Michigan to accelerate the design, testing and manufacturing of the self-driving Chrysler Pacifica.

“FCA has a nimble and experienced engineering team and the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivan is well-suited for Google’s self-driving technology,” said John Krafcik, CEO, Google self-driving car project. “The opportunity to work closely with FCA engineers will accelerate our efforts to develop a fully self-driving car that will make our roads safer and bring everyday destinations within reach for those who cannot drive.”

Google has said it believes driverless cars could be ready to go on sale by 2020.Its analysis suggests self-driving cars have the potential to prevent some of the 33,000 deaths that occur each year on US roads, 94% of which are caused by human error. The aim of the collaboration is to help FCA and Google better understand what it will take to bring self-driving cars into the world.

“Working with Google provides an opportunity for FCA to partner with one of the world’s leading technology companies to accelerate the pace of innovation in the automotive industry,” said Sergio Marchionne, CEO, FCA. “The experience both companies gain will be fundamental to delivering automotive technology solutions that ultimately have far-reaching consumer benefits.”

Analysts reports have suggested that Google may go on to form similar partnerships with other manufacturers, and have pointed out that one critical issue not covered by the current announcement is the question of which company will own the data produced by a self-drive car’s sensors and other telemetry.

Automation acceptance

The ability to grab market share with driverless cars will depend to a large extent on whether consumers trust the idea of a fully automated vehicle. The J.D. Power 2016 US Tech Choice Study has revealed that trust in automation technology is very much age dependent, as younger consumers have a notably higher level of confidence in the technology than their older counterparts.

The study was based on an online survey of more than 7,900 consumers who purchased/leased a new vehicle in the past five years.

It found that customers are most interested in a number of automotive technology features that make use of the different elements of fully automated vehicles, such as radar, sensors, light detection and ranging (LIDAR) and cameras. Features with high consumer interest include smart headlights, night vision, lane change assist, traffic jam assist, medical emergency stop, smart intersection and predictive vehicle control.

However, when it comes to making the leap to fully automated cars, trust in the technology is directly linked to the age of the consumer. More than half of Gen Y (56%) and Gen Z (55%) vehicle owners, those born after 1977, say they trust self-driving technology, compared with 41% of Gen X, 23% of Baby Boomers and 18% of Pre-Boomers, who represent earlier generations.

Further, only 27% of Gen X, 18% of Gen Y and 11% of Gen Z consumers say they “definitely would not” trust the technology, while 39% of Baby Boomers and 40% of Pre-Boomers say the same.

The one view all generations share is a concern for technology security, specifically surrounding privacy and the potential for systems to be hacked, hijacked or to crash (either the vehicle or the system itself).

“The level of trust is directly linked to the level of interest in a new technology among automobile buyers,” said Kristin Kolodge, executive director of driver interaction & HMI research at J.D. Power. “Acceptance can be increased with exposure over time and experience with automated technologies. But trust is fragile and can be broken if there is an excessive number of incidents with automated vehicles.”

Gen Y and Gen Z vehicle owners are twice as likely as Gen X and five times as likely as Boomers and Pre-Boomers to show interest in certain alternative mobility types, such as mobility sharing/co-ownership, journey-based ownership and mobility on demand.

Furthermore, the study finds that 59% of Gen Y vehicle owners say they are “definitely” or “probably” interested in fully automated vehicles and 32% of them would pay $3,000 or more for the technology. Among the four alternative mobility types, interest levels are highest among all generations for unmanned mobility.