Google’s Parent Company Makes Big Decision About Self-Driving Cars

June 13, 2017, 10:01 PM UTC
Self-Driving Cars-California
FILE - In this May 13, 2015, file photo, Google's new self-driving prototype car is introduced at the Google campus in Mountain View, Calif. California regulators have changed course and in redrafted regulations released late Friday, Sept. 30, 2016, opened a pathway for the public to get self-driving cars of the future that lack a steering wheel or pedals. It’s not going to happen soon, because automakers and technology companies are still testing prototypes. The redrafted regulations will be the subject of a public hearing next Oct. 19 in Sacramento. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar, File)
Tony Avelar—AP/File

Alphabet’s self-driving car unit Waymo said it is retiring its line of Firefly test vehicles to focus on integrating its technology into mass-produced vehicles.

Waymo would work towards equipping its initial fleet of 600 Chrysler Pacifica minivans with custom-built radar and vision systems, and an all-new artificial intelligence compute platform, to enable the cars to see even further and sharper, the company said.

“By focusing on mass-produced vehicles like the Pacifica minivan, we’ll be able to bring fully self-driving technology to more people, more quickly,” Waymo said in a blog post.

For more about Waymo, watch:

The latest technology will also allow the self-driving minivans to reach full speed compared with the Firefly, which was limited to 25 miles per hour.

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