Waymo and Toyota have agreed to investigate a possible deal that could lead to a new vehicle designed for a walk and even bring self-guidance technology.
The two companies have signed a preliminary agreement to examine the development and development of a standalone vehicle platform, according to a blog posted by Waymo. The language used by companies is unclear-and essentially ends up in a hey-let’s-hee-how-we-night-work-together layout. One spokesman said more details would be shared if there is a definitive agreement.
The goal, if Waymo and Toyota are formally working together, is dual. Companies will combine their corresponding advantages to develop a new autonomous vehicle platform used for a roboter service. Companies will also examine Waymo technology in the next generation of Toyota vehicles sold to consumers.
The scope of cooperation will continue to evolve through ongoing discussions, Waymo told the blog post.
“Toyota is committed to realizing a society with zero traffic accidents and becoming a mobility company that offers mobility for everyone,” said Hiroki Nakajima, a member of the Board of Directors and Toyota Executive Vice President.
The timetable of the announcement is remarkable. Last week, Alphabet Sundar Pichai’s chief executive made observations during the call of the company’s profits that Waymo was seeing personal autonomous vehicles. Waymo spoke indefinitely about the authorization of his technology before. However, this was the first time that the company’s senior executive spoke publicly about the opportunity.
As Waymo has been transformed from a research and development program into a commercial business, the company has requested cooperation with other businesses. Waymo has a robot service in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Ostein and soon Atlanta. Historically, Waymo has handled all aspects of Robotaxis business, including implementation, maintenance and operation.
This has changed in recent months. Waymo has hired Moove to manage the AVS fleet in Phoenix. It has also turned to Uber to share responsibility for robot businesses in Austin and soon in Atlanta.
Under the Robotaxi service “Waymo On Uber”, Waymo is responsible for the test of vehicles, road assistance and some aspects of rider support. Uber manages fleet services, such as vehicle cleaning, maintenance, inspections, charging and warehouse work through a company called Avomo.
