Google’s self-driving car team is expanding and hi-ring more people with automotive industry exp-ertise, underscoring the company's determination to move the division past the experimental stage.
Google’s self-driving car team is expanding and hi-ring more people with automotive industry exp-ertise, underscoring the company's determination to move the division past the experimental stage.
The operation now emp-loys at least 170 workers, according to a Reuters review of their profiles on LinkedIn, the business-oriented social network. Many are software and systems engineers, and some come from other departments at Google.
More than 40 of the employees listed on LinkedIn have previous automotive industry experience, with skills ranging from exterior design to manufacturing. They hail from a wide range of companies, including Tesla Motors Inc, Ford Motor Co and General Motors Co.
Google has not disclosed details about the size or composition of its self-driving car team, and Johnny Luu, spokesman for Google's car team, declined to comment.
The team could have additional members who do not publish profiles on LinkedIn. Google has said previously that it intends to ready the technology for a marketable self-driving car by 2020, but it may never manufacture vehicles itself. The tech giant is more likely to contract out manufacturing — much like Apple does with iPhone —or to license technology to existing car manufacturers, automotive industry experts said. Licensing would follow the model Google has used with its Android operating system for mobile devices.
In the past four weeks, Google has advertised ne-arly 40 new positions on the team, and many are related to manufacturing. The team currently has six people with such experience, including purch-asing, supplier development and supply chain management. Hires with manufacturing skills cou-ld help Google find and coordinate with a partner to build a vehicle, said Paul Mascarenas, a former Ford executive who is president of FISITA, the International Federation of Engineering Societies.
Google is also engaged in discussions with federal and state regulators about how to revise motor vehicle safety standards to accommodate autonomous cars.
