Uber, Fiat Discuss a Self-Driving Car Partnership
June 08 2016 - 7:30PM
Dow Jones News
Uber Technologies Inc. has held talks with Fiat Chrysler
Automobiles NV about a potential partnership involving self-driving
car technology, people familiar with the matter said.
The discussions are at a preliminary stage and may not result in
a partnership, the people cautioned. Fiat Chrysler is one of
several auto makers with whom Uber has held such talks in recent
weeks, one of the people said.
The growing role of technology in transportation is fueling a
frenzy of global alliances between the world's largest auto makers
and the biggest tech companies.
Uber is seeking new partners after some of its largest rivals
forged their own alliances, including Apple Inc.'s $1 billion
investment in Chinese ride-hailing startup Didi Chuxing last month
and General Motors Co.'s $500 million backing of Lyft Inc. earlier
this year.
Fiat Chrysler, viewed as a laggard in rapidly advancing
driverless technology, is in talks with several tech companies to
bolster those efforts. The car maker has also held early
discussions with Amazon.com Inc. about using Fiat's cars for
self-driving deliveries of packages, one of the people said.
Bloomberg earlier reported on Fiat's discussions with Uber and
Amazon.
Last month, Fiat Chrysler said it was working with Alphabet
Inc.'s Google to redesign the 2017 Pacifica Hybrid minivan to
integrate Alphabet's computers, sensors and software. The minivans,
like Alphabet's other self-driving cars, will be solely for
testing.
Fiat Chrysler Chief Sergio Marchionne said last month that he
was willing to work with Silicon Valley's high-tech companies to
develop new car technologies. The approach is different from those
of several competitors that have shunned tech giants to remain in
control of what goes into their vehicles.
A partnership with Uber could further bolster the image of the
third-largest U.S.-based auto maker. General Motors Co. and Ford
Motor Co. have both spent hundreds of millions investing in
ride-sharing and other mobility strategies.
Uber began work on its own autonomous driving technology last
year when it poached several top robotics researchers from Carnegie
Mellon University and opened its Uber Advanced Technologies Center
in Pittsburgh. It is has begun testing self-driving cars in that
city and plans to incorporate autonomous vehicles into its fleet by
2020.
Last month, Uber said it partnered with Toyota Motor Corp. to
help make more cars available to its drivers through a new leasing
program operated by Toyota's lending unit. Uber and Toyota have no
plans to work together on self-driving car technology, a person
familiar with the partnership said.
On Wednesday, Uber Chief Executive Travis Kalanick appeared on
stage alongside Dieter Zetsche, chairman of Daimler AG, at a
business conference in Berlin. Among other topics, the pair
discussed how self-driving car technology could help improve road
safety.
Write to Douglas MacMillan at douglas.macmillan@wsj.com and Jeff
Bennett at jeff.bennett@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
June 08, 2016 19:15 ET (23:15 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2016 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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