Yes, Google will no longer build self-driving cars cars. Waymo will.
Basically, the Google X auto-drive unit, formerly codenamed Chauffeur, is reportedly becoming an independent company under the Alphabet umbrella. New Waymo CEO Jon Krafcik made the announcement today at a press conference in Califronia.
As TechCrunch reports, Google's automotive division recently acquired executives from experienced business leaders. Krafcik, who was hired this year, worked for Hyundai, while former Airbnb and TripAdviser CEO Shaun Stewart was also recently hired to bolster the team.
With the creation of Waymo, Alphabet seems to be trying to promote the new technology into the real world by exploring partnerships within existing automakers, rather than trying to completely remove the human driver factor from the equation.
The move was more likely to be expected, considering Alphabet's raison d'être, which has come to separate Google's functions, but also the delay in the promotion of self-driving by regulators.
