Uber and Google rivalry heating up as both target driverless cars
Controversial ride-hire app Uber is planning to research self-driving cars by partnering with a leading US university, a move that could put it in competition with its shareholder Google.
Google has been exploring driverless cars since 2010 and now has a fully functioning prototype that it plans to begin testing on San Francisco roads this year.
Uber is teaming up with Carnegie Mellon University to create the Uber Advanced Technologies Center to “do research and development, primarily in the areas of mapping and vehicle safety and autonomy technology.”
In turn, Google is reportedly exploring its own ride-hire app, according to Bloomberg. Google tweeted in response: “We think you’ll find Uber and Lyft work quite well. We use them all the time.”