Fiat Chrysler Automobiles CEO Sergio Marchionne may be a self-described “Apple freak,” but the executive’s next foray into self-driving technology could actually come from Google.
A new report by The Wall Street Journal (citing AutoExtremist) claims that Fiat Chrysler (FCA) and Google have reached the late stages of technical partnership negotiations, talks that apparently started shortly after CES 2016 wrapped up in January. Google has been searching for an automotive other half for some time now, and although an advisory alliance between the tech firm, Ford, Volvo, Uber, and Lyft was announced this week, Google still needs someone to actually build its driverless fleet. Could the first wave of commercially available autonomous cars have Italian roots?
It may seem like an odd choice at first, because when you think of high-tech transportation, FCA is probably not the first automaker that comes to mind. The company has an extensive network of manufacturing facilities and dealers throughout the globe, though, which is exactly what Google needs as a tech supplier. According to sources close to the matter, the first product of the Google-FCA partnership could be an autonomous version of the Chrysler Pacifica minivan.
Read more: Rubber ducky, you’re the one … to test self-driving technology at MIT
What would FCA get out of the deal? The brand’s recent struggles have been well-documented, with the company suffering recalls, hacked infotainment systems, and a failed merger with General Motors in the last year alone. A technical alliance with Google could cut down FCA’s development costs significantly, giving the world’s seventh-largest car company a much-needed shot of adrenaline.
Neither Google nor FCA has officially commented on the matter at the time of this writing, but the story will continue to develop over the coming months. To stay up to date on self-driving vehicle news, keep your browsers locked to DT Cars.
BYD has launched the third-generation Qin Plus DM-i in China, and the first thing that caught my eye is its price. According to CarNewsChina, the plug-in hybrid sedan starts at 79,900 yuan, which is about $11,980. That’s an incredibly low price for a brand-new car, especially by US standards.
What’s even more impressive is the range. The Qin Plus DM-i can drive up to 137 miles on electricity alone, which should cover most people’s daily commutes without using a drop of gas. Once the battery runs out, the 1.5-liter engine takes over. Thanks to its 17-gallon tank and roughly 91 mpg with a drained battery, the combined range reaches up to 1,423 miles.
Apple won the PC market’s worst quarter, but that’s not the entire story. It won the race by stumbling less than everyone else.
PC makers shipped just 57 million computers worldwide in Q3, which might look good, but it’s a 21% year-over-year plunge (via Counterpoint Research). And despite Apple’s Mac shipments falling by 11%, to 5.6 million, its market share rose from 8.7% to 9.8%. How did that happen?
Update (October 22 23:54 PT): In response to our query, GM clarified that offline recording support is already available on eligible vehicles. Like Tesla's Sentry Mode, it requires owners to connect a USB drive to save incident recordings, which can be viewed on the vehicle's infotainment screen. The upcoming Connected Cameras feature will build on this by giving owners remote access to these recordings via the revamped OnStar app, allowing them to check footage without walking out to their car.
General Motors has announced plans to add a new Connected Cameras feature to its OnStar service starting next year, giving drivers a way to monitor parked vehicles remotely and capture footage of certain incidents.