Digital Trends
Cars

Why are the major tech and car companies looking for land around San Francisco?

Bruce Brown
By —

Google car
Google, Apple, and major car companies all looking for real estate for autonomous car R&D
No one said real estate was inexpensive in San Francisco and the Bay area, ever. But news slipped from a major San Francisco and Silicon Valley commercial landlord that Apple, Google, and several car manufacturers are in the market, big time, according to the Wall Street Journal. Why all the interest? The most likely answer is land for autonomous car development.

During an investor call, Victor Coleman, CEO of Hudson Pacific Properties Inc., said, “We’re seeing the Toyotas of the world, the Teslas of the world, BMWs, Mercedes. Ford now is out in the marketplace looking for space. I haven’t even mentioned the 400,000 square feet that Google’s looking to take down and the 800,000 square feet that Apple’s looking to take down for their autonomous cars as well.”

Perhaps he hadn’t mentioned it before, but he did then. So if Google is looking for about 10 acres and Apple’s seeking 20 acres, give or take, are they building test tracks or what? Certainly they’re not going to build manufacturing plants. Tesla’s Fremont, California plant consumes 5.3 million square feet. Apple’s new headquarters, under construction, will be about 2.8 million square feet, and Google’s takes up 4.8 million square feet.  With the relatively small spaces Coleman mentioned, it’s likely the two companies are looking for research and development space and possibly small test tracks.

And why are Toyota, Ford, Mercedes, BMW, and Tesla also looking for land in northern California? If the center of self-driving R&D right now is Silicon Valley, it stands to reason the major car makers want to be close to the development hub. Even though we live in an increasingly connected world, there’s still much to be gained from physical proximity.

No announcements are forthcoming from the prospective tenants or property owners on exactly what real estate they’re looking for or why they want it, but it all falls together logically in the autonomous car space. It’s no secret Google’s parent company Alphabet and Apple are busy expanding their self-driving car focus in line with the parallel efforts of the major car companies. Chances are any car manufacturer that intends to stay and grow in this business space over the coming decades is already planning and investing heavily in autonomous technology.

If the big car brands want to be near the center of autonomous car action, it sounds like they’d better get busy. The demand for suitable land in California is on the rise.

Editors' Recommendations

Don't Miss

Kia is bringing a bionic-looking electric concept car to the Geneva Auto Show
Up Next

Italy's Carabinieri gets a pair of Alfa Romeo Giulia police cars
2018 volkswagen california t6 transporter 15
Cars

Has Apple rebooted its self-driving car program to develop autonomous vans?

The on-again, off-again Apple car is back on track, but it's not a sedan or a hatchback. It will arrive as an electric, autonomous passenger-carrying van, according to a recent report.
Posted — By Ronan Glon
2020 Mercedes-Benz SLC Final Edition
Cars

Mercedes lets the sun shine in one last time with SLC Final Edition convertible

The Mercedes-Benz SLC convertible sports car is going out of production. Launched in 1996 as the SLK, the model has been a fixture in the Mercedes-Benz lineup across three generations.
Posted — By Stephen Edelstein
Waymo Jaguar I-Pace
Cars

Waymo rules and Apple trails in California self-driving car benchmarks

California's DMV releases annual reports of self-driving car disengagements on public roads. In the most recent reports. Waymo had the best performance, GM Cruise came in second, and Apple's self-driving program was in last place.
Posted — By Bruce Brown
teaching self driving cars to predict pedestrian movement autonomous detect pedestrians
Cars

Researchers teach self-driving cars to predict pedestrians’ next moves

University of Michigan researchers are developing a system that teaches self-driving cars to predict pedestrian movement. Humans don't always act in their own best self-interest, so autonomous cars will need to practice protective driving.
Posted — By Bruce Brown
Audi e-tron ski slope
Cars

Watch a modified Audi e-tron electric SUV drive straight up a ski slope

A modified Audi e-tron climbed up an 85-percent gradient on an Austrian ski slope in a tribute to a classic Audi commercial. The vehicle used for the stunt sported an extra electric motor and spiked tires.
Posted — By Stephen Edelstein
frankfurt-alfa-romeo-giulia-2
Cars

Mamma mia! Alfa Romeo will unveil a new model at the Geneva Auto Show

Alfa Romeo told Digital Trends it will unveil a new model at the 2019 Geneva Auto Show. It stopped short of revealing what it has in store, but rumors claim it will be a crossover positioned below the Stelvio.
Posted — By Ronan Glon
citroens ami one concept car is as cute it compact copyright maison vignaux continental productions
Cars

Citroën says you could drive its tiny Ami One electric car without a license

Citroën's Ami One concept car is an electric vehicle that's as cute as it is compact. The miniature motor only has a top speed of 28 mph, so the French automaker imagines it as a shareable runaround for short drives.
Posted — By Trevor Mogg
Uber self-driving car
Cars

Arizona city slammed with $10M lawsuit over fatal Uber autonomous car accident

The family of Elaine Herzberg, the woman struck and killed by one of Uber's self-driving prototypes, has filed a $10 million lawsuit against the city of Tempe, Arizona. They claim Herzberg jaywalked because she was confused by a brick…
Posted — By Ronan Glon
Aston Martin Project 003 teaser
Cars

Aston Martin’s next hypercar, due in 2021, will pack a hybrid powertrain punch

Aston Martin will follow up the Valkyrie and Valkyrie AMR Pro with a new hypercar, code-named Project 003. The car will debut in 2021, with production limited to 500 units worldwide.
Posted — By Stephen Edelstein
apple file system
Cars

Apple opens up about its self-driving car program in letter to NHTSA

Apple has traditionally kept details about its self-driving car technology under wraps, but it has revealed details about the program in a rare instance of openness. The company takes safety seriously.
Posted — By Ronan Glon
tesla model s
Cars

Tesla will release fully self-driving cars in 2019 — with a big asterisk

Tesla reaffirmed its goal of releasing a fully self-driving car by the end of 2019, but it warned the system won't work perfectly 100 percent of the time. Convincing regulators that it's safe to use will require some effort, too.
Posted — By Ronan Glon
Tesla Model 3
Cars

Consumer Reports bumps the Tesla Model 3 off of its list of recommended models

The Tesla Model 3 is one of the six new cars that have lost their coveted Recommended rating from Consumer Reports over reliability concerns. In 2018, Model 3 owners reported body trim falling off and problems with the car's glass.
Posted — By Ronan Glon
Lyft Aptiv ride experience
Cars

Lyft’s Shared Saver service offers cheaper rides, but you’ll have to walk a little

Lyft has launched a new ride option called Shared Saver that offers cheaper rides if you're willing to walk a little. Shared Saver designates a nearby pick-up point and drops you off a short distance from your final destination.
Posted — By Trevor Mogg
waymos self driving prototypes recognize hand signals waymo intersection 1
Cars

Waymo’s self-driving prototype obeys a traffic cop’s hand signals

One of Waymo's self-driving prototypes successfully navigated a situation that leaves even some human drivers confused: An intersection whose traffic lights are down. It waited for the traffic cop to wave it on.
Posted — By Ronan Glon