Dec 22, 2015 06:38 PM
Rumors are all over the place that Google (more accurately, its Alphabet holding company) and Ford Motors are going to announce the formation of a new autonomous car company, owned by both of them. The announcement is supposed to be planned for the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in a few weeks.
Reportedly this will result in an Uber-like service, where the cars aren't sold to individuals, but rather called with a cell-phone ap, then told by the rider where to transport the rider, at which time the car becomes available for new calls.
Ford will manufacture the things, probably using one of their existing car models as its basis, and Alphabet's automotive division will apparently supply the software and the controlling brains, based on what's they've been testing in their Lexus SUVs and pod-cars.
Ford and Alphabet (Google) are apparently going to spin the thing off into a legally separate entity, since there's considerable concern about legal liability when these things have accidents (and that's inevitable). Both companies want to protect themselves from the ravenous lawyers who are circling the autonomous car industry like sharks, in hopes of tearing billions of dollars from it. (Law firms in class-actions get what, 30%?)
http://www.forbes.com/sites/samabuelsami...ation-era/
Reportedly this will result in an Uber-like service, where the cars aren't sold to individuals, but rather called with a cell-phone ap, then told by the rider where to transport the rider, at which time the car becomes available for new calls.
Ford will manufacture the things, probably using one of their existing car models as its basis, and Alphabet's automotive division will apparently supply the software and the controlling brains, based on what's they've been testing in their Lexus SUVs and pod-cars.
Ford and Alphabet (Google) are apparently going to spin the thing off into a legally separate entity, since there's considerable concern about legal liability when these things have accidents (and that's inevitable). Both companies want to protect themselves from the ravenous lawyers who are circling the autonomous car industry like sharks, in hopes of tearing billions of dollars from it. (Law firms in class-actions get what, 30%?)
http://www.forbes.com/sites/samabuelsami...ation-era/