Official confirmation of the agreement between Fiat Chrysler and Google arrived late yesterday evening. After a difficult day for the group's stocks, in line with the decline in the sector, FCA (+3%) took off on Wall Street.
For now, the impact is more psychological than in numbers. FCA is expected to supply around one hundred prototypes by the end of 2016 based on the Pacifica Hybrid minivan, presented at the Detroit Motor Show last January. The models will be built “specifically for Google's self-driving program,” reads the official note.
It will be only the first phase of a larger joint project for the production of driverless vehicles in the coming years. Working with Google, said Sergio Marchionne "will give us the opportunity to collaborate with one of the major companies in the sector and the experience will be essential for the development of automotive technologies that will bring benefits".
FCA will take care of the design and engineering, Google of the sensors and computers that will guarantee autonomous driving. Beyond the numbers, the prestige counts: it is the first time that a Silicon Valley giant has officially allied itself with a four-wheeled house. In recent weeks, talks with Ford and GM had failed.
The news should also overturn the mood of Piazza Affari today, where Fiat Chrysler lost 3% yesterday, despite climbing above 7 euros in the finale. In the United States, the group sold 6% more than last year in April, reaching its best April in 11 years. But analysts are pessimistic about the near future for the Detroit Bigs.
