VW considers sharing autonomous-car tech to defray development costs

VW’s efforts to develop robotic cars dates back more than a decade to tests hosted by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA, in the US. — AFP

Volkswagen AG is open to sharing future autonomous-vehicle systems with other manufacturers as it races to catch up with the likes of Waymo LLC in cost-intensive technologies like self-driving that could transform the way people and goods move, according to an executive at the German automaker.

Joint projects beyond a deal with Ford Motor Co signed in July – that includes a US$2.6bil (RM10.74bil) investment in its US peer’s affiliate Argo AI LLC – could help spread out costs more widely, said Alexander Hitzinger, VW’s senior vice-president for autonomous driving.