Waymo and Avis Reach Deal Over Self-Driving Cars’ Maintenance
On Monday, Waymo and Avis Budget Group, the large car-rental company, reached an agreement
that would put Avis Budget in charge of maintaining the 600 self-driving Chrysler Pacifica minivans that Waymo will deploy in the Phoenix area.
By MICAH MAIDENBERGJUNE 26, 2017
Waymo, the self-driving-car unit spun off by Google’s parent company, outfits its
autonomous vehicles with sophisticated sensors and other digital technology.
Scott Deaver, chief marketing officer at Avis Budget, said
that his company was open to deepening its relationship with Waymo but that it was too soon to discuss specifics.
The string of deals, including General Motors’ $1 billion purchase of Cruise Automation
and the partnership between Daimler and Uber on self-driving vehicles, illustrates the stakes.
The agreement is the latest among companies racing to figure out how to profit from the expected transition to autonomous vehicles.