Google seems to have chosen Ford to help it build an original self-propelled vehicle, according to Yahoo Auto.
In the deal, which has not yet been announced, Google will provide the software, while Ford will offer its manpower and its factories to build cars.
Google has always stated that it is looking for partners. The software it has developed has been tested in several cars by companies such as: Lexus, Audi and several Toyota models. From the beginning, Gogle has shown more interest in the development of AI software, despite the construction of cars.
Thus, with the upcoming agreement, Google will take on the improvement of the software as an integral part automaticς driving and Ford vehicle manufacturing.
It should be mentioned that Google has been testing self-driving vehicles for many years, in California and Texas, which have already traveled more than 1,3 million miles. Google has 53 self-driving prototype cars to date.
The agreement between Google and Ford seems meaningful due to the four links between the two companies: 1. Google's project leader, John Krafcik, worked at Ford for 14 years,
2. former Ford CEO Alan Mulally took part in the Google Board last year,
3. Roush Industries, the company that manufactures the cars used by Google, is also Ford,
and 4. most of Google's employees in the project with self-propelled vehicles also worked on Ford.
Meanwhile, sources from the inside report that self-propelled vehicles will be used for a taxi drive as they do not need a driver in major US cities.
The Google-Ford partnership is expected to be announced in Consumer Electronics Show in January, which will take place in Las Vegas.
