By early 2017 Waymo plans to have 100 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrids driving themselves.
The Waymo Chrysler Pacifica moves back to retrofitting an existing design, which leads to radar warts on the fenders and grill, and the large size means the lidar sensor is back on a riser. Credit: Waymo
The Waymo Chrysler Pacifica moves back to retrofitting an existing design, which leads to radar warts on the fenders and grill, and the large size means the lidar sensor is back on a riser. Waymo
Last week we learned that Google’s car project is not dead. It just has a new name. Now called Waymo, the company expects to eventually move into the autonomous-mobility ride-sharing market. Today, we got our first look at the new Chrysler Pacifica hybrid minivans that will complement Waymo’s fleet of Lexus SUVs and other test machines.
Pacificas make sense for Waymo. Although the research vehicles don’t need to be hybrids, the fact that they are drive-by-wire is obviously crucial. And their capacious cargo volume should come in handy for carrying technicians and extra equipment.
According to Waymo CEO John Krafcik, some early prototypes of the self-driving minivans have already completed plenty of miles at Google’s test track in California. They’ve also gobbled up miles in Fiat Chrysler Automobiles’ facilities in Michigan and Arizona. The bulk of the fleet is currently being equipped, and Krafcik expects them to be racking up miles on the public roads early in the new year.
Jonathan is the Automotive Editor at Ars Technica. He has a BSc and PhD in Pharmacology. In 2014 he decided to indulge his lifelong passion for the car by leaving the National Human Genome Research Institute and launching Ars Technica's automotive coverage. He lives in Washington, DC.
