Waymo, Lyft Enter Autonomous Car Partnership

If there’s one thing that’s certain about autonomous car development it’s that it is challenging and expensive, and not an easy task for a company to tackle alone. It seems everyone is partnering up to make self-driving cars a reality, and now two of the biggest players in the autonomous race, Waymo and Lyft, are joining forces.

Waymo, the autonomous car project that spun off of Google, and ride-hailing service Lyft confirmed today that the two companies will collaborate on autonomous car technology, reports The New York Times. The exact details of the partnership, including what fruits it will bear and when, are still unknown. The deal will help both companies take on Uber, Lyft’s chief rival in the ride-hailing space and a leader in autonomous spending. Waymo recently sued Uber alleging that it stole self-driving tech secrets when it hired former Waymo engineer Anthony Levandowski.

“Waymo holds today’s best self-driving technology, and collaborating with them will accelerate our shared vision of improving lives with the world’s best transportation,” a Lyft spokeswoman said in a statement.

Similarly, a Waymo spokesman told The New York Times, “Lyft’s vision and commitment to improving the way cities move will help Waymo’s self-driving technology reach more people, in more places.”

But the relationship is in no way exclusive. Both companies have tie-ups with major automakers. Lyft has partnered with GM to offer short-term-use Chevrolet vehicles to Lyft drivers and eventually bring out autonomous Bolt EV taxis. GM owns a small stake in Lyft and holds a seat on the board of directors as a result of the deal. Meanwhile, Waymo has partnered with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles to test autonomous Chrysler Pacifica minivans in Arizona and is also in talks with Honda on a self-driving car collaboration.

Stay tuned for more details on the Waymo-Lyft deal as they emerge.

Source: The New York Times

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