Jaguar Land Rover and Waymo announce long-term partnership

Waymo (a subsidiary of Google's parent company Alphabet) and Jaguar Land Rover have announced a long-term strategic partnership to develop a self-driving I-Pace for Waymo's driverless transportation service.

I-Paces equipped with Waymo's self-driving technology will start testing later this year. Data captured during on-road testing will allow Waymo and Jaguar Land Rover engineers to refine their technology.

Up to 20,000 self-driving I-Paces will be built during the first two years of production. Once they are available for riders of Waymo's driverless service, they could make a potential one million trips per day.

Jaguar launched the I-Pace, the carmaker's first full-electric SUV, earlier this month to international acclaim.

No safety operator

At this point, Waymo is the only company in the world that operates a fleet of self-driving cars on public roads without a safety operator behind the wheel. Uber's fleet of self-driving Volvo's, for instance, always have a human driver behind the steering wheel to take over control of the vehicle in case of emergencies. A recent fatal accident in Arizona has demonstrated this is not always possible in practice.

Later this year, Waymo is to launch the first self-driving transport service that will allow people to request a vehicle though an app.

John Krafcik, Waymo CEO, 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."

Prof. Dr. Ralf Speth, Jaguar Land Rover CEO, added: "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."

The Waymo Jaguar I-Pace is being displayed at the New York International Auto Show.

Image: Waymo Jaguar I-Pace (source: Jaguar Land Rover)