Google takes self-drive project to Motor City

Google’s taking its self-driving car to the intermittently beating heart of US automotive industry – Detroit.

It will open a 16,000sq metre self-driving technology development centre in the Motor City suburb of Novi.

Project chief executive John Krafcik announced the move in a Google + post, saying the tech giant will use the move to work with several partners in the automotive industry.

It won’t say how many people it will be employing by has said that by having a facility in Michigan it will be able to access the vast pool of automotive talent based with manufacturers there.

Google has had staff from the self-driving car project in the area for a number of years, and the pod-like bodies of the Google testbed car is produced in Detroit.

Krafcik said the new project base would be up and running this year.

“For the past few years, members of our team have been working from the Greater Detroit area. Now it’s time to lay down roots: we’re establishing a self-driving technology development centre in Novi,” Krafcik said on Google +

The area may be shaping as a automotive Silicon Valley, with Harman International announcing a huge North American headquarters project there.

Its six-year self-driving car project is gaining momentum, with a deal singed with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles to turn 100 2017 Pacifica hybrid minivans into autonomous vehicles.

Several partnerships between technology players and car manufacturers have been announced already this year. Toyota this week announced a deal with self-drive cab company Uber.

Ford was said to be in talks with Google, and on Monday (US time) chairman Bill Ford confirmed the company had a relationship with the search giant but wouldn’t elaborate.