Google Robo Taxi Service Self-Driving Cars sensors, cameras and computers.
Google plans to turn self-driving cars into robo taxi service
Google's self-driving cars have been a technological success, the search-giant has had difficulty finding a method of getting the vehicles into mainstream use.
Google recently led an investment of $258 million in Uber, a three-year-old taxi hailing app now valued at $3.5 billion. Uber started by offering customers the chance to order high-end vehicles from their mobiles within minutes, but the service has been so popular that a string of competitors have emerged (including Lyft, Hailo and Sidecar) whilst taxi unions and local governments have sought to obstruct the service's growth.
Currently, Google's self-driving cars use the Toyota Prius, a full-hybrid hatchback that typically costs around $25,000 in the US, and retrofit these with an array of sensors, cameras and computers.
Although no official prices for the finished vehicles have been released, it's expected that the necessary technology costs upwards of $100,000.
It would be an incredible risk for Google to cough up the funds necessary to start manufacturing vehicles, and although the self-driving cars are operated from within Google X (an R&D lab that houses all of the company's 'moonshots' or high-risk projects) it still seems more likely that the company will continue to explore alternative avenues.
Google's cars have so far only been involved in two accidents — one involved the car being rear-ended after stopping at a red light and the other occurred after a human driver took control of the vehicle.
Google plans to turn self-driving cars into robo taxi service
Google's self-driving cars have been a technological success, the search-giant has had difficulty finding a method of getting the vehicles into mainstream use.
Google recently led an investment of $258 million in Uber, a three-year-old taxi hailing app now valued at $3.5 billion. Uber started by offering customers the chance to order high-end vehicles from their mobiles within minutes, but the service has been so popular that a string of competitors have emerged (including Lyft, Hailo and Sidecar) whilst taxi unions and local governments have sought to obstruct the service's growth.
Currently, Google's self-driving cars use the Toyota Prius, a full-hybrid hatchback that typically costs around $25,000 in the US, and retrofit these with an array of sensors, cameras and computers.
Although no official prices for the finished vehicles have been released, it's expected that the necessary technology costs upwards of $100,000.
It would be an incredible risk for Google to cough up the funds necessary to start manufacturing vehicles, and although the self-driving cars are operated from within Google X (an R&D lab that houses all of the company's 'moonshots' or high-risk projects) it still seems more likely that the company will continue to explore alternative avenues.
Google's cars have so far only been involved in two accidents — one involved the car being rear-ended after stopping at a red light and the other occurred after a human driver took control of the vehicle.
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