Report: FCA in Talks With Uber, Amazon on Self-Driving Cars
CARS.COM — Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is continuing its efforts to develop an autonomous vehicle partnership and is in talks with ride-hailing service Uber about a deal, reports Bloomberg News.
Related: Automakers Work Toward Self-Driving Cars, Disagree on How to Get There
No deal has been reached, people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg, but one could be announced before the end of the year. FCA also has had “initial contacts” with Amazon about autonomous vehicles, which could be used for deliveries. Reps for all of the companies involved declined to comment on the report.
FCA has already partnered with tech giant Google, which has its own driverless car program, for a test of self-driving Pacifica minivans. Similarly, CEO Sergio Marchionne has said he would be interested in building a car with Apple. FCA’s interest in partnerships is partly because it lacks the deep pockets of bigger global rivals to finance extensive autonomous vehicle development on its own.
It also fits into the larger dance that automakers and tech companies – particularly ride-hailing services – are doing as they try to figure out where it is in their interests to cooperate versus compete. Ride-hailing is seen as a growing rival to car ownership in urban centers.
At a recent conference in Berlin, Daimler chief Dieter Zetsche was quoted by Reuters as describing Uber CEO Travis Kalanick as a “frenemy,” while Kalanick said, “Cars are not going away soon and companies like Uber are not going to be making them.”
There’s a definite trend toward collaborations. Daimler operates the Car2Go car-sharing service in several cities. Toyota announced a deal with Uber earlier this year, buying a small stake and offering leases to Uber drivers. GM has invested in Uber rival Lyft and will test self-driving Chevrolet Bolts, VW took a stake in ride-hailing service Gett, and BMW has invested in California-based carpooling service Scoop.
Meanwhile, Ford, Google, Uber, Lyft and Volvo have formed a coalition and hired Dave Strickland, the former head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, as counsel to lobby the government for policies that support development of autonomous vehicles. NHTSA currently is working on new self-driving car guidelines for consistent regulation to cover development of such vehicles.
