Mexican Media Brands
FCA, Google Ready Pacifica Minivans for Autonomous Tests
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV says it has completed production of 100 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivans that will join Alphabet Inc.’s Waymo autonomous vehicle test fleet early next year.
#hybrid
Share
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV says it has completed production of 100 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivans that will join Alphabet Inc.’s Waymo autonomous vehicle test fleet early next year.
The minivans are being outfitted with Waymo’s fully self-driving technology, including specially built computers, various sensors, telematics and other systems. Engineering modifications to the minivan’s electrical, powertrain, chassis and structural systems were made to optimize the vehicle for the technology.
Waymo (formerly the Google self-driving car project) and FCA co-located part of their engineering teams at a facility in Michigan to accelerate the development process. Testing was conducted at FCA’s proving grounds in Chelsea, Mich., and Yucca, Arizona, as well as Waymo test sites in California. The companies announced the partnership in May.
Waymo plans to launch a ride-sharing service with the Pacifica starting with a semiautonomous version of the minivan by the end of 2017, according to media reports earlier this month. The service likely will require more than the 100 Pacificas FCA originally agreed to supply.
RELATED CONTENT
-
On Military Trucks, Euro Car Sales, Mazda Drops and More
Did you know Mack is making military dump trucks from commercial vehicles or that Ford tied with Daimler in Euro vehicle sales or the Mazda6 is soon to be a thing of the past or Alexa can be more readily integrated or about Honda’s new EV strategy? All that and more are found here.
-
When Automated Production Turning is the Low-Cost Option
For the right parts, or families of parts, an automated CNC turning cell is simply the least expensive way to produce high-quality parts. Here’s why.
-
Robotic Exoskeleton Amplifies Human Strength
The Sarcos Guardian XO Max full-body, all-electric exoskeleton features strength amplification of up to 20 to 1, making 200 pounds—the suit’s upper limit—feel like 10 pounds for the user.
