It wasn’t long ago that the concept of a self-driving car seemed like something out of a science fiction film. Well, with the allies Google is making in the automotive industry, you may see self-driving cars on the streets in the not so distant future.
The Open Automotive Alliance that Google Inc. launched on Monday with a group of car companies will establish the Android operating system as a platform for apps in the connected car. The long-term significance of the deal, however, may be as a milestone in Google’s effort to build a working relationship with car makers, a critical step toward bringing its self-driving car technology to market during the next few years.
Google has been road-testing a fleet of more than 20 self-driving Audi’s for the past few years, and has said the technology will be ready for the commercial market by 2017. However, the company has yet to elaborate on its business plan for products based on the technology, let alone strike a deal with a car manufacturer or supplier willing to incorporate the software into its systems. There were reports last summer that Google would strike a deal with German parts maker Continental AG and with International Business Machines Corp., but no announcement involving Google was made. There even was speculation that Google might hire a contract manufacturer to build a car.