SAN FRANCISCO: Self-driving car software startup Aurora said on June 9 it would partner with Fiat Chrysler to build autonomous platforms for commercial vehicles, the latest collaboration with an automaker for the fast-growing Silicon Valley company. Besides for ride hailing fleets, automakers and others are interested in self-driving technology for commercial applications, such as delivery vans. Aurora already has partnerships with Volkswagen AG, Hyundai Motor Co and China's Byton to develop and test self-driving systems for a range of applications for automakers, fleet owners and others. The company is among dozens of startups, automakers and large technology companies working on self-driving car systems, eager to capitalise on a sea change in the transportation industry brought by developments in machine learning. Fiat Chrysler has an existing partnership with Waymo, Alphabet's self-driving unit, in which it supplies Chrysler Pacifica hybrid minivans for Waymo's driverless fleet, which is currently in operation in Arizona.

Source: The Star June 10, 2019 05:48 UTC