In a Shift in Driverless Strategy, Uber Deepens Its Partnership With Toyota
Summary
With that investment, Uber plans to provide its self-driving technology to a fleet of Toyota minivans, which may be operated by the Japanese automaker or a third party, the companies said in a joint announcement.But by teaming up with Toyota, Uber can keep testing its driverless technology in cars without the expense and hassle of maintaining a full fleet and owning the entire operation from top to bottom.The self-driving program is still undergoing a comprehensive safety review as a result of the fatal crash, although the company continues limited testing of autonomous cars in Pittsburgh.Lyft has worked with several companies on self-driving technology, including collaborating with an autonomous developer, Aptiv, to operate a small fleet of self-driving BMWs in Las Vegas.In January at the International CES technology trade show, Toyota unveiled a new driverless concept vehicle and said Uber would be one of its partners, alongside Amazon and Pizza Hut.