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Lyft and Waymo Reach Deal to Collaborate on Self-Driving Cars

Lyft and Waymo Reach Deal to Collaborate on Self-Driving Cars

Waymo, the self-driving car unit that operates under Google’s parent company, has signed a deal with the ride-hailing start-up Lyft, according to two people familiar with the agreement who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. The deal calls for the companies to work together to bring autonomous vehicle technology into the mainstream through pilot projects and product development efforts, these people said.

“Waymo holds today’s best self-driving technology, and collaborating with them will accelerate our shared vision of improving lives with the world’s best transportation,” a Lyft spokeswoman said in a statement.

The companies have left hints as to what the partnership could entail. Lyft, for instance, has long said it wants to match its network of passengers and drivers with partners in the transportation industry. Last year, it struck a deal with General Motors, a major Lyft investor, to help with that goal. Under that agreement, the companies plan to test autonomous Chevrolet Bolt vehicles using Lyft’s network with the general public in the next few years.

Waymo has pursued its own partnerships. It is working with Fiat Chrysler on a fleet of minivans and is in talks with Honda about a possible deal that would put Waymo technology in Honda test vehicles. Waymo also recently introduced a pilot program in Phoenix in which consumers can apply to hail self-driving Chrysler minivans and Lexuses for free rides around the city. The company has said it hopes to find new ways through such partnerships to bring its self-driving technology to the general public after nearly a decade of development.

EDIT: if you don't remember, Uber is accused of stealing its self driving car tech from Waymo.
 

turmoil

Banned
Waymo was struggling getting partners because everyone fears they will end being low profit boxmakers like PC makers.

Would be nice to know if Waymo gave concessions or simply the tech gap is so big that others are accepting their terms.
 
Waymo was struggling getting partners because everyone fears they will end being low profit boxmakers like PC makers.

Would be nice to know if Waymo gave concessions or simply the tech gap is so big that others are accepting their terms.
That's odd to me, because Waymo owns the software for its cars, too. Seems more like a Microsoft situation than an HP one.
 

Somnid

Member
Waymo was struggling getting partners because everyone fears they will end being low profit boxmakers like PC makers.

Would be nice to know if Waymo gave concessions or simply the tech gap is so big that others are accepting their terms.

Probably the latter. Lyft needs something to try and get ahead, they can't compete on Uber's technical level. But my first reaction is that Alphabet is going drill into them and leave the husk, but maybe if they're lucky they'll get acquired but I'd still find that dissatisfying from a corporate diversity standpoint.
 
I still don't get it young blood.

Basically someone said or did some dirty shit to you, so you return the favor and do some dirty shit back.

Uber "clapped at google" by stealing some tech from Goggle *allegedly*
so Google "clapped back" by licensed that same tech to their competitor Lyft.
 
J

Jpop

Unconfirmed Member
Basically someone said or did some dirty shit to you, so you return the favor and do some dirty shit back.

Uber "clapped at google" by stealing some tech from Goggle *allegedly*
so Google "clapped back" by licensed that same tech to their competitor Lyft.

So basically Google is riding Uber's dick so hard they snap it, cheeks clapping?

True revenge right there, gotta play the long game.

Edit:

I just realized my Junior demotion is still there 😭
 

turtle553

Member
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Yeah, Uber is uber fucked. Uber screwed. Uber done. I've never heard such a clean cut case when it comes to technological companies pissing on each other in a long while. Wouldn't even let Uber settle. Google is out for blood.
I don't know legal precedent when it comes to corporate espionage, but if the court finds that that technology was stolen by Uber from Waymo then I think the court can force Uber to have to rebuild all the tech based on that stolen information which would be an enormous setback for Uber. So then Lyft+Waymo become that much closer to the self driving car revolution and potentially get ahead of Uber.
 
I don't know legal precedent when it comes to corporate espionage, but if the court finds that that technology was stolen by Uber from Waymo then I think the court can force Uber to have to rebuild all the tech based on that stolen information which would be an enormous setback for Uber. So then Lyft+Waymo become that much closer to the self driving car revolution and potentially get ahead of Uber.

Especially considering that Uber's entire valuation is based on the premise that the self-driving car market is going to be winner-take-all and that they're going to be the ones to capture it (they're basically burning through investor cash until they get to that point), this could completely bury them.
 
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