Photo: Jaguar
It would seem the Brits have set their targets hard on Tesla and its products. After making no secret of the fact that the I-Pace targets directly the Model X, Jaguar now announced a partnership that would open another front in this yet undeclared war.
Tesla cars are already partly-autonomous, as the American carmaker's vehicles use the Autopilot feature developed pretty much in-house. For Jaguar, creating such a system from scratch might have proved difficult, so the Brits inked a deal with a company that does just that.
As one of the most successful autonomous-car systems developers, Waymo (formerly Google's self-driving car project) has enlisted the I-Pace as its first premium self-driving electric vehicle in the fleet. First tests will start this year, with full implementation of the electric SUV as part of the Waymo lineup in 2020.
If we are to trust the figures announced by Jaguar, the contract between the two is huge. The Brits claim that in the first two years up to 20,000 I-Pace vehicles will be built and be made available for riders of Waymo’s driverless service.
Waymo plans that by the end of the year to become the world’s first company to offer self-driving transportation services to the public.
“While we've been focused at Waymo on building the world's most experienced driver, the team at Jaguar Land Rover has developed an all-new battery-electric platform that looks to set a new standard in safety, design, and capability,” said Waymo’s executive officer John Krafcik.
According to statistics, about 95% of car accidents are caused by human error, generating over a million deaths worldwide per year. Having an automated system in charge, despite setbacks from time to time, is likely to bring that percentage down towards zero.
Gambling big now, when the industry is just blossoming, would allow Waymo and its partners to capture a good chunk of the 4 percent market share self-driving cars are estimated to have by 2030.
As one of the most successful autonomous-car systems developers, Waymo (formerly Google's self-driving car project) has enlisted the I-Pace as its first premium self-driving electric vehicle in the fleet. First tests will start this year, with full implementation of the electric SUV as part of the Waymo lineup in 2020.
If we are to trust the figures announced by Jaguar, the contract between the two is huge. The Brits claim that in the first two years up to 20,000 I-Pace vehicles will be built and be made available for riders of Waymo’s driverless service.
Waymo plans that by the end of the year to become the world’s first company to offer self-driving transportation services to the public.
“While we've been focused at Waymo on building the world's most experienced driver, the team at Jaguar Land Rover has developed an all-new battery-electric platform that looks to set a new standard in safety, design, and capability,” said Waymo’s executive officer John Krafcik.
According to statistics, about 95% of car accidents are caused by human error, generating over a million deaths worldwide per year. Having an automated system in charge, despite setbacks from time to time, is likely to bring that percentage down towards zero.
Gambling big now, when the industry is just blossoming, would allow Waymo and its partners to capture a good chunk of the 4 percent market share self-driving cars are estimated to have by 2030.
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