google-car.jpg

22 August 2013

Self-driving cars a step closer with Continental reportedly partnering with technology firm Google.

Technology giant Google has reportedly agreed to an alliance with German car part firm Continental AG to share knowledge on self-driving cars.

According to the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper, the pair will announce the deal at the 2013 Frankfurt motor show in September.

Continental may be famous for tyres but is also a major supplier of braking and stability control systems throughout the automotive industry.

Google has spent years working on autonomous cars and has previously indicated it would ultimately licence the technology to car makers or parts suppliers.

Continental is also working with Cisco systems to develop car-to-car data transfer technology.

Several car makers are working on autonomous vehicles including Volkswagen Group, Mercedes-Benz and General Motors.

A number of self-driving functions are available already including radar cruise control, active lane-keeping, and cruise control with steering assistance.

Original Article by Stephen Ottley