<ultiple reports Thursday indicate that FCA and the tech giant, now known as Alphabet, are in the final stages of talks on a partnership.
DETROIT, MI - Fiat Chrysler Automobiles CEO Sergio Marchionne has sought partnerships for the automaker, though until now Google's name had not come up.
But multiple reports Thursday indicate that FCA and the tech giant, now known as Alphabet, are in the final stages of talks on a partnership. The Associated Press confirmed the talks, citing a person close to the matter.
Details are not yet available, but Google has said in the past that it does not want to produce its own self-driving cars, but rather would like to partner with an automaker on the technology.
The tech giant has been working on a self-driving car project for the past seven years.
"While the tech giant has massive amounts of cash and technical expertise, it has had very little contact with the real world of building and selling automobiles," said Matt DeLorenzo, managing editor of Kelley Blue Book. "There's a lot Alphabet can learn from an active manufacturer in the business."
It could also be the step in which Alphabet decides whether to get into the automotive business at all.
And for FCA, such a partnership would make sense, seeing as the automaker has so far lagged its peers in terms of a presence in Silicon Valley.
"FCA may not be first with new features, but it can adopt them later when costs are lower and still be competitive in the marketplace," DeLorenzo said. "This tie-up, however, could put it back into a leadership position when it comes to future tech, including autonomous vehicles."