Google will reportedly spin-off its self-driving car division into an independent company under the Alphabet umbrella.
According to a Bloomberg source ‘briefed on the company’s strategy’ the transition will take place next year.
The new company will initially be focused on providing rides-for-hire, a la Uber, with a roll out in confined areas, rather than on the open road.
So, the source said, military bases, college campuses or corporate office parks may be first to get the service.
According to the report test cities San Francisco and Austin, Texas could be the first in line for a launch, which would see fleets of small and large fleets available.
A fleet of for-hire cars could also act as an ice-breaker for riders, who could eventually be convinced to buy a self-driving car.
If the self-driving car division is spun off into a standalone company, it would join Google itself, the firm’s robotics division, the Verily life sciences department and the Nest smart home division.
See also: What is Alphabet? Why Google’s new parent company is a big deal
Currently, the self-driving car division is within the stored X Labs, but after over a million test miles, the autonomous vehicle look ready to fly the nest.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
