Google and Ford are reportedly joining forces to build self-driving cars. The news comes from Yahoo Autos citing unnamed sources who say that the two companies will announce the joint venture at CES in January. From Yahoo Autos:
According to three sources familiar with the plans, the partnership is set to be announced by Ford at the Consumer Electronics Show in January. By pairing with Google, Ford gets a massive boost in self-driving software development; while the automaker has been experimenting with its own systems for years, it only revealed plans this month to begin testing on public streets in California. Google has 53 test vehicles on the road in California and Texas, with 1.3 million miles logged in autonomous driving.
Further, the report notes that the partnership will spawn a new company that is legally separate from Ford in order to protect the auto maker from liability concerns surrounding the young autonomous car market. Additionally, the deal is said to be non-exclusive.
If true, such a deal could be a boon for both companies, with Google benefiting from Ford's extensive manufacturing prowess, and Ford reaping the benefits of . In any event, if this is indeed in the works, we should hear much more at CES in a couple of weeks, and we'll bring you the latest from the show floor.
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