JohnKrafcik
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Waymo’s self-driving vehicles have racked up 10 million miles
Autonomous vehicle company Waymo has just completed 10 million miles of testing on public roads -- and by the end of the month it'll have clocked up seven billion miles in its virtual world. In a press release, Waymo CEO John Krafcik said that while the company has made "great strides" in its history so far, "the next 10 million will focus on turning our advanced technology into a service that people will use and love."
Waymo wants to bring self-driving taxis to Europe
Waymo hasn't quite launched its self-driving taxi service in Phoenix and San Francisco yet, but it's already settings its sights on another continent. The Alphabet-owned company's CEO, John Krafcik, has revealed that Waymo aims to make its way to Europe after launching in the US later this year. He made the announcement at the Automotive News Europe Congress in Turin, Italy, where he also said that if the company does enter the European market, it will likely be with the help of a partner.
Google spins out its self-driving car division
Google isn't wasting much time validating rumors that it's shaking up its self-driving car efforts. The internet giant is spinning out its self-driving project as a new company, Waymo, with current division head (and Hyundai veteran) John Krafcik as its CEO. It'll still have access to the resources of Google's parent company Alphabet, but it'll act more as a "venture backed startup," Krafcik said in a press conference. Appropriately, there's much more talk of turning autonomous vehicle tech into a practical business.
Chris Urmson leaves Google's self-driving car project
After seven and a half years working on self-driving car tech for Google/Alphabet, Chris Urmson announced his departure from the team in a blog post tonight. He took over as director after Google X founder Sebastian Thrun left in 2013, and led until Google hired former Hyundai exec John Krafcik as the CEO of its car division. The New York Times reports Urmson was unhappy with the recent direction of the project under Krafcik and had "quarreled" with Larry Page, however his post simply says he's "ready for a fresh challenge."
Google hires auto industry veteran to run self-driving car project
Google already has someone running the technical side of its self-driving car project, but what about making sure the spreadsheets and such match up? That's a job for a serious business type, which is why the firm has hired auto industry veteran John Krafcik to become CEO of its autonomous vehicles division. Krafcik comes with some pedigree, having previously worked at Ford and ran Hyundai's US car business for five years. Those with long memories will recall that Krafcik was responsible for replacing owners manuals with a tablet in the Hyundai Equus, before reversing that decision a year later.
Hyundai Sonata Hybrid was delayed into 2011... by 'virtual engine sound' system
Remember how at the end of last year the US legislature decided to make it mandatory for EVs to churn out an audible noise while in motion? It was all in the name of saving pesky pedestrians from getting in the way of your gliding electro-car, but the new law itself has managed to create a bump in the road for at least one company. Hyundai's Sonata Hybrid was all set to launch in late 2010, equipped with a "virtual engine sound" system that the user could toggle on and off, however the government's request that it be kept permanently on required modifications to the vehicle's wiring harnesses, UI software and user manuals, delaying its debut into late January. These tweaks had to be done "amazingly late in the process," according to Hyundai America CEO John Krafcik, but the delay will at least ensure that all of Hyundai's Sonatas will sound the same. Which is something, we guess.
