Waymo was apparently partnered with Ford and the lore says it fell through when Waymo didn't want to front Ford money. Surely any other firm partnering with Waymo wouldn't want it stalking its customers with its spyware (kind of already does this with android) or interrupting them with it ads. So if the number 2 of the big 3 didn't work out why not the number 1? Guessing GM is actually way behind on self driving. New propaganda has been trying to link GM with Waymo in terms of having comparable position on self driving tech. Guessing GM wouldn't like the public to know much about such a partnership. Could it just be a straight licensing? Guessing GM faces buying back more of its stock just like Apple is being encouraged to do plus dividends (ouch!) For GM it will be about trying to keep market cap above Tesla's just like it was last year- not likely to work by the way. GM has to keep up appearances, this would be a way. Seems it thinks it has more than a decade before it has to do anything serious about electric, and shared electric autonomy has to be a worst case recipe for its profit before all else focus especially given the baggage it carries. PR showing that GM was in last place on self driving might make it harder to partner with Google, saying that its in first place or tied is a way for it to save face and the stock hit, claiming that its partnering with an equal in the space instead of needing to be rescued again. This would be akin to its acquisition of Cruise, it tries to by its way to solutions.
GM last place in autonomous? LOL No. Cruise is at the same level as Waymo if not better in some respects with how it has been handling San Francisco streets. Why would GM invest in Waymo a direct competitor?? GM will be introducing Ultra Cruise with the Cadillac Celestiq next year which will allow fully autonomous driving in 95% of the roads in a vehicle people can buy. Direct learnings from Cruise. OH also Cruise is now taking paying customers on rides. This whole post just looks like a hit piece. Have a video: small note: by 2025 40% of the vehicles GM offers will be EVs, by 2030 all light duty vehicles will be EVs and by 2035 all GM vehicles will be EVs. They are taking it seriously.
