Electric and autonomous driving being the future of the mobility, all major automobile manufacturers have been investing time and resources towards its development. This time around Jaguar Land Rover and Waymo have announced their long-term strategic partnership to develop the world’s first premium self-driving electric vehicle, the Jaguar I-PACE. Up to 20,000 units of the electric autonomous SUV are expected to join Waymo’s fleet in the first two years of production.
JLR and Waymo (former Google self-driving car project) will be working together to design and engineer self-driving Jaguar I-PACE vehicles. In sync with Waymo’s self-driving technology, the company will start testing the vehicle sometime later this year. On-road testing and capturing real-world data will enable the engineers from both the companies to further refine their technology and offer maximum safety and reliability. Waymo is looking forward to undertake around one million trips every day once it has its entire fleet up and going.
Currently, Waymo has been the only company to offer a fleet full of self-driving cars. This means a car without a driver on the public roads! Later this year, the company plans to launch the world’s first self-driving transportation service which allows the public to use Waymo’s app to request a vehicle. The Waymo Jaguar I-PACE will be showcased at the upcoming New York International Auto Show.
Speaking about the collaboration, Prof. Dr. Ralf Speth, Jaguar Land Rover Chief Executive Officer said, “With the Jaguar I-PACE we have a world-beating car that’s captured the imagination of customers around the world. Our passion for further advancing smart mobility needs expert long-term partners. In joining forces with Waymo we are pioneering to push the boundaries of technology. Together we will deliver the self-driving Waymo Jaguar I-PACE with the grace, space and eco-pace that customers expect.”
Adding to it, John Krafcik, Waymo Chief Executive Officer said, “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. We're sure Waymo riders will enjoy the safe, premium and delightful experience that the self-driving I-PACE will provide.”
