Google is teaming up with auto builders in Detroit to build its driverless cars, according to Chris Urmson, director of Self-Driving Cars for Google. The Detroit Free Press reports that the pod-like prototypes first unveiled by Google last May are now “being developed and assembled at a Roush facility”. These are iterated, “more refined” versions of the first prototypes. They now even have working headlights!
A new batch of cars will soon be built in Detroit, but then shipped to California for testing. Clearly, the folks at Google are fair-weather motorists. The new cars will swell the test fleet to 150.
Apparently a “team in the hundreds” is now working on the project, split between California and Detroit. Apparently thew Detroit workers are a mix of relocated Mountain View staff and locals — presumably hired for the automotive know-how.
There’s little else new mentioned in the Detroit Free Press article. But honestly, the keeping of this project as all-American should be enough. [Detroit Free Press]