Growing competition in the automotive sector has encouraged Korean automaker Hyundai Motors to enter into a discussion with technology giant Google. The two companies will work on areas where their interests overlap. For now, Hyundai and Google have been working on providing Android Auto support in their vehicles.
For now, it is not known if the technological upgrades will be offered in other areas beyond the infotainment system. Unlike other major automakers, Hyundai and Kia Motors Corp. have avoided alliances or ventures to produce high-cost, low-volume sports cars and electric vehicles. However, given the constant rise in competition, the company will be more willing to collaborate with tech companies to stay at par with futuristic customer demands.
Recently, Ford had revealed that it plans to launch fully autonomous vehicles for commercial operation by 2021. These vehicles will be used in ridesharing and ride hailing services. Moreover, the company will also double its team in Silicon Valley and also double the Palo Alto campus. Speaking about it, Mark Fields, Ford president and CEO said, “The next decade will be defined by automation of the automobile, and we see autonomous vehicles as having as significant an impact on society as Ford’s moving assembly line did 100 years ago. We’re dedicated to putting on the road an autonomous vehicle that can improve safety and solve social and environmental challenges for millions of people – not just those who can afford luxury vehicles.”
Google’s association with Hyundai will also help the technological to gain a deeper car industry expertise that will also help them with their autonomous driving tech experiments. More details on the collaboration will be known in the coming days.
Source: B
