Chris Urmson, leader behind Google's self-driving car research, departs
【Summary】Chris Urmson, chief technical officer of Google's self-driving car efforts, said he's leaving as the Internet company moves the project from research into the creation of products.

Chris Urmson, chief technical officer of Google's self-driving car efforts, said he's leaving as the Internet company moves the project from research into the creation of products.
Urmson has been integral to Google's automated-driving project since its early days in 2009.
Under his watch, Google vehicles racked up 1.8 million miles of driving. He's leaving as car manufacturers place more emphasis on the technology and race to be the first to field vehicles that don't need human drivers.
"I am ready for a fresh challenge," the former Carnegie Mellon University researcher said in an online post Friday.
Google hired auto industry executive John Krafcik to take over the car project in 2015. The move signaled a new phase in which the company is trying to turn what was a research project into a business. Krafcik called Urmson an "incredible colleague & leader" on Twitter Friday.
"The mission is in capable hands," Urmson wrote. "There are many other problems or products this talented group of people could work on, but they've chosen self-driving cars because they understand the impact their work can have on making our roads safer and bringing everyday destinations within reach for millions of people."
The New York Times reported Urmson's departure earlier. The newspaper said Urmson was unhappy with the recent direction of the project and had argued about it with Google co-founder Larry Page.
When asked about the reports of him being unhappy, he said "yeah I've seen them."
"It's been a long time and it's time to see what else is out there," he added in a phone interview. "It's been fantastic. It was a great opportunity to build the team."
resource from: Automotive News
-
Tesla files lawsuit against Michigan's ban on selling cars directly
-
Beautiful new aerial look at Tesla Fremont – lots of cars ready to ship off
-
Tesla hires top designer Randy Rodriguez, man behind: Nissan 370Z, Titan and ICON A5 aircraft
-
Daimler begins testing Smart car trunk delivery service with DHL
-
California is about to overhaul its taxi industry, which could suck for self-driving cars
-
Nvidia partners with Baidu to build a self-driving car AI
-
Apple's CarPlay now a $300 option for most BMWs
-
Elon Musk reveals a ‘major’ Tesla Autopilot update is coming soon
- Foxconn-led Mobility in Harmony Consortium Announces ‘Project X’, an Open, Modular Electric Vehicle Platform
- GM Offering to Buy Out Buick Dealers That Don’t Want to Sell EVs
- Prices For Used EVs Continue to Rise as Gas Cars Drop
- Honda and LG Energy Solutions to Build a $4.4 Billion Joint Venture EV Battery Plant in the U.S.
- Electric Automaker XPeng and Bosch Join the ‘ELISA Project’ to Promote the Use of Linux in Safety-Critical Automotive Applications
- Intel’s Self-Driving Car Unit Mobileye Postpones its Planned U.S. IPO That Could Value the Company up to $50 Billion
- California DMV Accuses Tesla of Making False Claims About its Driver-Assist Systems
- EV Startup Fisker Announces ‘Fisker Finance’ a Digital Financing Platform for Purchasing the Electric Ocean SUV
- Volvo’s Parent Company Geely Launches a New Outdoor Lifestyle EV Brand Named 'RADAR'
- Toyota to Collaborate With Texas-based Utility Provider Oncor to Accelerate a Vehicle-to-Grid EV Charging Ecosystem