Honda may be next to test Waymo autonomous-driving tech in its cars

By Stephen Edelstein Published December 22, 2016

In its split from parent company Alphabet, Waymo acquired not only a new name, but also a new focus on partnering with established automakers to develop self-driving cars. The newly-independent company is already working with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), but it may take on a second partner as well.

Honda announced yesterday that it was “entering into formal discussions” with Waymo to integrate the company’s autonomous-driving tech with its cars. If both parties agree to collaborate, Honda would provide a fleet of vehicles to be outfitted with Waymo hardware, and engineers from the two companies would work together in some capacity.

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The arrangement could be broadly similar to the partnership Waymo currently has with FCA. The Italian-American automaker just delivered 100 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivans to Waymo for conversion into autonomous test vehicles. The minivans were prepped by FCA for the installation of sensors and other hardware that will enable autonomous driving. FCA and Waymo engineers are also working side by side in Michigan.

Honda is already conducting some of its own autonomous-car testing. It has a prototype vehicle based on the RLX Sport Hybrid from its Acura luxury division, which has been testing at GoMentum station, a dedicated testing facility for self-driving cars on the grounds of the former Concord Naval Weapons Station in the San Francisco Bay Area. Honda hopes to put cars with at least some autonomous capabilities on sale around 2020.

A partnership with Waymo could allow Honda to “explore a different technological approach to bring fully self-driving technology to market,” a press release from the automaker said. However, the two companies are only in the initial stage of discussions, and haven’t committed to any collaboration yet.

Waymo was previously the Google self-driving car project, but was reorganized into an independent entity. When the reorganization was announced earlier this month, Waymo said it would cease development work on its home-built, pod-like prototype cars. While the cute cars garnered plenty of positive buzz, Waymo has decided that it doesn’t want to get into the business of building cars. It plans to commercialize its technology by working with existing automakers.

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Stephen Edelstein

Contributing Editor

Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…

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Beta of Tesla's FSD in a car.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is concerned that Tesla’s use of social media and its website makes false promises about the automaker’s full-self driving (FSD) software.
The warning dates back from May, but was made public in an email to Tesla released on November 8.
The NHTSA opened an investigation in October into 2.4 million Tesla vehicles equipped with the FSD software, following three reported collisions and a fatal crash. The investigation centers on FSD’s ability to perform in “relatively common” reduced visibility conditions, such as sun glare, fog, and airborne dust.
In these instances, it appears that “the driver may not be aware that he or she is responsible” to make appropriate operational selections, or “fully understand” the nuances of the system, NHTSA said.
Meanwhile, “Tesla’s X (Twitter) account has reposted or endorsed postings that exhibit disengaged driver behavior,” Gregory Magno, the NHTSA’s vehicle defects chief investigator, wrote to Tesla in an email.
The postings, which included reposted YouTube videos, may encourage viewers to see FSD-supervised as a “Robotaxi” instead of a partially automated, driver-assist system that requires “persistent attention and intermittent intervention by the driver,” Magno said.
In one of a number of Tesla posts on X, the social media platform owned by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, a driver was seen using FSD to reach a hospital while undergoing a heart attack. In another post, a driver said he had used FSD for a 50-minute ride home. Meanwhile, third-party comments on the posts promoted the advantages of using FSD while under the influence of alcohol or when tired, NHTSA said.
Tesla’s official website also promotes conflicting messaging on the capabilities of the FSD software, the regulator said.
NHTSA has requested that Tesla revisit its communications to ensure its messaging remains consistent with FSD’s approved instructions, namely that the software provides only a driver assist/support system requiring drivers to remain vigilant and maintain constant readiness to intervene in driving.
Tesla last month unveiled the Cybercab, an autonomous-driving EV with no steering wheel or pedals. The vehicle has been promoted as a robotaxi, a self-driving vehicle operated as part of a ride-paying service, such as the one already offered by Alphabet-owned Waymo.
But Tesla’s self-driving technology has remained under the scrutiny of regulators. FSD relies on multiple onboard cameras to feed machine-learning models that, in turn, help the car make decisions based on what it sees.
Meanwhile, Waymo’s technology relies on premapped roads, sensors, cameras, radar, and lidar (a laser-light radar), which might be very costly, but has met the approval of safety regulators.