“Robo Taxis”: Self-Driving Cars From Google

“Robo Taxis”: Self-Driving Cars From Google 

Google Inc., which has been working on software to help major automakers build self-driving cars, has logged 300,000 miles on the road without a single accident and has even persuaded California to legalize the self-driving car. Now, Jessica Lessin is reporting that the Internet giant may market its self-driving car as a “Robo Taxi,” instead of selling the cars directly to consumers.

The former WSJ staffer has learned that Google could launch a fleet of automated taxis that would pick up passengers by request, hopefully cutting down on accidents as well as the need for people to own their own cars. Lessin also reports that the company could roll out its “Robo Taxi” similar to the way it launched Google Fiber, targeting smaller, underserved regions initially.

“Robo Taxis”: Self-Driving Cars From Google 

According to people familiar with Google’s negotiations, the company approached some of the big car brands to discuss potentially commercializing the autonomous driving technology it has been working on for some years. However, the response was supposedly underwhelming, with no deal forthcoming.

Undeterred, Google is exploring ways it could go it alone in self-driving car technology, so the insiders claim. So far, the company is said to have talked to companies such as Continental AG and Magna International – who supply many of the components the big brands use in their ranges – about the possibility of producing a car of Google’s own design.

Building a full car – and handling the regulatory minefield that comes with that – is a significantly more involved challenge than making a phone, tablet, or laptop, however, and it’s unclear how much of the project Google actually wants to take on itself. Let's see how google will succeed in its project.