Le Monde | | By
Travis Kalanick never hidden: the future of Uber, the startup he founded in 2011, will pass by cars driverless. The US company of urban transport now wants to move up a gear. By the end of the month, users of its service will thus led to onboard autonomous vehicles on the streets of Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania).
“We go into commercial mode. All this can not remain a matter of science, “ says Mr. Kalanick in an interview with Bloomberg. Initially, only a few cars will be outstanding. But their number is expected to rise quickly to 100 thanks to a partnership with the Volvo manufacturer. For customers, the trip will be, for the moment, free
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The company will the first to use this technology to individuals. She especially ahead of Google, which has more than 2.5 million kilometers of testing. However, the Uber vehicles already quietly tested in Pittsburgh, still in the experimental phase. Two employees and occupy the front seats to take control if necessary and to collect data.
A key development for the company
Ultimately, the company hopes develop a gigantic fleet of “taxis robots.” Mr. Kalanick example evokes the figure of one million in the San Francisco area. This would break even over the prices offered to customers. And so come closer to the target set by its founder become a cheaper option than buying a car
The use of autonomous cars is even more crucial that the model. economic Uber is compromised by several court proceedings. Drivers contest their status as self-employed and claim to be considered employees and therefore receive benefits (vacation, retirement …). The group thought it had rejected the bulk of this threat. But Thursday, August 18, a judge in San Francisco rejected an amicable agreement that he had found part of a “class action” (class action).
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to go even faster, the company reached an agreement with Volvo to invest $ 300 million (264 million) to design together a driverless car. The launch is however not expected before 2021. The California company also spent nearly $ 700 million to repurchase Otto, which is developing a kit to empower trailers. The start-up has been especially created by Anthony Levandowski, former engineer of the Google Car. It will take the lead Uber projects.
General Motors and Ford in the ranks
The company’s efforts are not new. Last year, it opened a laboratory with Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. She has since debauched many researchers from the Faculty, one of the most renowned in the field of robotics. Two new research centers will also be opened in Silicon Valley. Develop an autonomous car is “just essential for us,” provides Uber boss, who fears that others come nibble his livelihood.
For the competition is brewing. General Motors, the first US automaker, recently partnered with Lyft, Uber’s main rival in the United States, to launch a network of driverless taxis. Wednesday 17 August, Ford said he was pursuing the same goal. And if nothing is official yet, Google would also work in this direction. “We need an alternative or we will lose all our activity,” recognizes Mr. Kalanick
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