The cars used by Google to test their self-driving technology has been in use for a while now. Given that Google’s self-driving project has since been spun-out onto its own dubbed Waymo (still under the Alphabet umbrella), we guess it was time that the project got a brand new set of wheels as well.In an announcement by FCA (Fiat Chrysler Automobiles), they have revealed Waymo’s new self-driving cars as being the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivans. Spy photos of the vehicles at Google’s facility were leaked earlier, but it looks like they have since been made official and come equipped with all the necessary sensors and equipment that it needs for it to be a self-driving vehicle.
While the model used is the Pacifica Hybrid, under the hood some changes have been made to the car’s powertrain, chassis, and structural system in order to better accommodate the extra weight that comes from the equipment. John Krafcik, the CEO of Waymo says, “The Pacifica Hybrid will be a great addition to our fully self-driving test fleet. FCA’s product development and manufacturing teams have been agile partners, enabling us to go from program kickoff to full vehicle assembly in just six months.”
He also adds, “They’ve been great partners, and we look forward to continued teamwork with them as we move into 2017.” So, what do you guys think of the new fleet?
Filed in . Read more about Chrysler, Fiat, Self-Driving Cars and Waymo.