Google looking for partners for self-driving car
Shaping up to be the year of “Internet of Things,” a big part of the trend in 2015 will come from an increase in connected-car technology. The most futuristic of connected cars is Google’s self-driving car, and the company is poised to make big moves, but not in the vehicle manufacturing industry.
In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Project Director Chris Urmson confirmed that Google is on the hunt for partners to build its self-driving cars.
“We don’t particularly want to become a carmaker. We are talking (with) and looking for partners,” Urmson revealed.
Urmson also told The Wall Street Journal that the company is working with suppliers to build a new, more advanced model than has previously been seen. Urmson also revealed that Google plans to start testing the cars on the road in 2015.
Meanwhile, California’s Department of Motor Vehicles will not make a Jan. 1 deadline to set new rules for the driverless vehicles. According to the Associated Press, regulators have stated that more time is needed to determine if the vehicles are safe.
Officials with the DMV have said that consumers will not be allowed to purchase self-driving cars until tests can verify that the cars are safe. Regulators are not sure how long the process could take, citing that the technology is more advanced than the testing procedures.
