Google's self-driving cars to compete with Uber: report

Reports suggest that Google is interested in producing self-driving cars to compete with Uber


Webdesk December 19, 2015
PHOTO: GOOGLE

Tech giant, Google, is preparing to launch a fleet of self-driving cars which will be the direct competitor of ride-share service, Uber; reports suggest.

Google’s interest to enter the automotive production and sale market has been a topic of speculation for many; to which Google has always denied its interest to do so.

The multinational technology company’s aims seem unclear, but recent reports suggest that Google wants to compete with Uber by launching mass production of self-driving automobiles.

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According to Bloomberg, Alphabet Inc. corporate umbrella will be a mobility service company above Google.

Since the beginning of Google’s experimentation with self-piloted cars, over a million miles on  the transportation links around South-Western America (including San Francisco, California and Austin, Texas) have been registered. San Francisco, California and Austin, Texas seem to be Uber’s ideal cities.

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The legality of is self-driving cars is still a topic of debate, as cars without a driver are not allowed. Even in states where Google would be granted permission for self-automated cars, the automobiles will have to be tested on private property.

According to the report, the customers would not own the cars but would be subscribed to the service, and during late hours, the automobiles would return to Google’s workshops to be worked on. Several major auto-manufacturers have spoken about the topic, saying that idea is futuristic and that the sales models will be quickly be replaced by company owned cars.

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For example, Ford has made efforts in its business to modernise its service, obviously wanting to add self-drivable cars to their market, which has been further back up by the company's further testing of self-directed cars on California roads.

This article originally appeared on Mashable

COMMENTS (1)

curious2 | 8 years ago | Reply Can you imagine India and Pakistan with no crazy drivers - just automated cars which drive at safe speed with limited accidents? Definite game changer.
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