Waymo To Supply Self-Driving Technology to Jaguar

author: Eric Walz   

NEW YORK -- Waymo, the self-driving arm of Alphabet has announced at a press conference today in New York that it will supply luxury automaker Jaguar with self-driving technology for its new electric i-Pace SUV. Under the agreement, Alphabet Inc.'s Waymo will integrate its self-driving system into Jaguar's I-Pace electric SUVs, the first all-electric offering from the luxury unit of China's Tata Motors Ltd.

Waymo said it plans to place 20,000 autonomous Jaguar I-Pace vehicles on the road for tests in 2018. By 2020, the Jaguar i-Pace vehicles will become part of Waymo's ride-hailing taxi service, set to begin this year.

"It ended up being a really terrific next vehicle for us and fit one of the key aspects of our business plan," John Krafcik, Waymo's chief executive officer, said in an interview. "We can get closer to getting just the right car for just the ride that person has requested."

John Krafcik, Waymo CEO

Waymo has another partnership with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, the supplier of Waymo's self-driving minivans.

The news comes after Uber's self-driving program was shut down by Arizona Gov Doug Ducey after one of Uber's autonomous Volvos struck and killed a pedestrian while operating in autonomous mode. In addition, Waymo filed a lawsuit against Uber last year over the theft of trade secrets related to self-driving technology.

Waymo has been working on self-driving technology since 2009. The company has racked up the most autonomous test miles on roads, and millions more in simulation. Waymo is eager to work with more automakers to secure its lead in autonomous technology, as it prepares to launch a commercial ride-hailing service.

The two companies didn't disclose financial terms, but Waymo is planning to purchase the I-Pace vehicles, which sell for $69,500, making the deal worth about $1.3 billion.

Eric Walz

Originally hailing from New Jersey, Eric is a automotive & technology reporter covering the high-tech industry here in Silicon Valley. He has over 15 years of automotive experience and a bachelors degree in computer science. These skills, combined with technical writing and news reporting, allows him to fully understand and identify new and innovative technologies in the auto industry and beyond. He has worked at Uber on self-driving cars and as a technical writer, helping people to understand and work with technology.