- Alphabet’s (GOOG, GOOGL) self-driving car spin-off Waymo is retiring its line of Firefly test vehicles in favor of using the tech platform in mass-produced vehicles like Chrysler’s Pacifica minivan.
- In a blog post, the Waymo team outlines the reasons for both building and retiring the Firefly. The team feels that building the car allowed for a better understanding of how the tech interacts with the vehicle but that mass-produced vehicles are a more practical way to move the tech forward to consumers.
- The Pacifica minivans have the Waymo radar, LiDAR, and vision systems with a new AI platform. The vans can also go full speed compared to the 25mph max for the Firefly.
- The strategy of combining proprietary autonomous vehicle tech with an automaker’s vehicle is shared by internet company Baidu and is now confirmed as Apple’s strategy.
- Previously: Tim Cook confirms Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) developing autonomous vehicle tech (June 13)
- Now read: Alphabet: Bearish Valuation Shows Very Limited Downside
Original article