Fiat Chrysler's North America Division Announces Partnership with Aurora Autonomous Start-up

The North American branch of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, FCA US, is forming a partnership with the Aurora autonomous vehicle start-up, already linked to the distribution giant, Amazon.

This announcement comes just days after the break with the Renault Group, a project of "equal merger" with which it hoped to have access to the autonomous driving technology developed by the Japanese partner of the Renault Group. alliance of the French manufacturer Nissan. Fiat Chrysler has a long history of developing standalone vehicles that many industry observers expect to become commonplace over the next two decades.

"As part of FCA's autonomous vehicle strategy, we will continue to work with strategic partners to meet the needs of our customers in a rapidly changing industry," said Mike Manley, CEO of Fiat Chrysler. "Aurora brings a unique skill combined with advanced and targeted technology that complements and enhances our approach to autonomous driving."

Aurora, which employs over 200 people in its offices in Pittsburgh, Palo Alto and San Francisco, is led by CEO Chris Urmson, one of the pioneers of the self-governing sector. He led a project set up by Google until Waymo.

Neither Aurora nor FCA US would reveal the financial details of their new partnership, but the start-up has received new funding of over $ 530 million earlier this year, with Amazon having been one of the leaders in the round. Series B table. The retail giant has made several strategic investments over the past year, many of which focus on stand-alone technology. Another investment allowed him to take a stake in Rivian, a Detroit-based electric vehicle start-up. Analysts have speculated that Amazon hopes to create a fleet of autonomous delivery vehicles.

For its part, FCA said in a statement that it was relying on Aurora to help it develop standalone commercial vehicles that "would allow a variety of custom solutions for commercial vehicle customers at a time when lifestyles and online shopping habits are creating logistical opportunities. "

This suggests a wide range of potential options, including carpooling vehicles, such as those offered by the new Waymo One service in the suburbs of Phoenix, as well as driverless delivery trucks.

Connecting to Aurora could give FCA a direct connection to Amazon. But, in the strange world of high-tech transportation, Amazon's involvement in Rivian also connects it to Ford Motor Co. which invested $ 500 million in this new venture in April.

At the same time, Fiat Chrysler is also associated with Waymo, thus becoming one of the leading vehicle providers for its carpool service. Waymo One plans to purchase more than 60,000 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivans and modify them at a new facility outside of Detroit.

Regardless of the long-term goal, analysts such as Sam Abuelsamid, of Navigant Research, have so far criticized the Italian-American automaker for taking a too slow approach to research autonomous vehicles. He made only marginal efforts by himself. One of the potential benefits discussed in the merger with Renault was access to autonomous and electrified vehicle technologies developed by the French manufacturer and its Nissan ally.

"Sterling Anderson, co-founder of Aurora and Product Manager, is excited to partner with FCA US to develop a successful business model that leverages the benefits of stand-alone commercial vehicles."

Joint ventures are becoming the norm rather than the exception in the increasingly high-tech automotive world. Earlier this year, Honda signed on as an investor in General Motors' Cruise Automation subsidiary. They are also associated with a fuel cell project. This week, BMW and Jaguar Land Rover launched a partnership focused on battery-car technology, while Toyota and Subaru announced plans to jointly develop a new battery-powered electric vehicle platform.