Waymo and Fiat Chrysler (FCA) have had a partnership for years and an active role in the development of autonomous technology. The companies are expanding their efforts to include larger self-driving vehicles. On July 22, the partners announced that they would begin developing autonomous light commercial vans, starting with the Ram ProMaster.
To test and develop its autonomous systems, Chrysler supplied Waymo with 100 Pacifica Hybrid minivans in 2016. Now, with four years and millions of miles worth of test driving, the company has improved the capabilities of its self-driving systems, with the latest version able to spot pedestrians and even debris hundreds of meters away.
Waymo Driver is the fifth-generation system. The partners plan to integrate this tech into the new Ram ProMaster van, with the hope of overcoming the challenges of applying autonomous vehicle technology to light commercial vans.
John Krafcik, the CEO of Waymo, said:
Today, we’re expanding our partnership with FCA with the Waymo Driver as the exclusive Level 4 autonomy solution for this global automotive company. Together, we’ll introduce the Waymo Driver throughout the FCA brand portfolio, opening up new frontiers for ride-hailing, commercial delivery, and personal-use vehicles around the world.
There are five levels of autonomy; the 4th Level describes a self-driving system that can drive full time under the right circumstances. If the system encounters something it can’t take on, it will ask for humans to intervene. However, if humans can’t offer their assistance, then it will park itself so that passengers are not in danger.
Mike Manley, the CEO of FCA, explained:
With this next step, deepening our relationship with the very best technology partner in this space, we’re turning to the needs of our commercial customers by jointly enabling self-driving for light commercial vehicles, starting with the Ram ProMaster.
Manley added that Waymo’s partnership with FCA is setting the pace for sustainable and safe mobility solutions that will define the automotive industry in the future.
