Google's Waymo adds 100 self-driving minivans to autonomous fleet

Google’s Waymo has reportedly teamed up with Fiat Chrysler to add 100 self-driving minivans to autonomous fleet. The company, which also plans to test autonomous delivery vehicles, expects to have the autonomous minivans on public roads in 2017. “As we get fully self-driving cars ready for the road, we’ll need more types of vehicles to refine and test our advanced driving software,” Krafcik CEO of Waymo wrote in a blog post. “With this great new minivan on the road in our test markets, we’ll learn how people of all ages, shapes and group sizes experience our fully self-driving technology.”

The completed vehicles are reportedly equipped with Waymo’s self-driving software, sensors, computer systems and other major system updates. These autonomous minivans were tested at the Waymo track in California and FCA’s proving grounds in Chelsea, Michigan, and Yucca, Arizona. "Over the last six months, the joint program team has been working to design and engineer the modifications to the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid that would allow us to integrate our new fully self-driving systems," wrote Krafcik. "Getting from program kickoff to production and full vehicle assembly in half a year is a testament to the strong teamwork and collaboration between FCA and Waymo engineers."