Lyft to Develop Self-Driving Car Technology in New Silicon Valley Facility – New York Times

Lyft is taking a markedly different approach from Uber. While Ubers self-driving plans have mostly been a solo effort, Lyft has announced what it calls its Open Platform Initiative, a way to develop autonomous vehicle technology in conjunction with automakers and technology companies.

We want to bring the whole industry together with this, and we think theres a unique opportunity in time right now for Lyft to become a leader while doing it, said Raj Kapoor, Lyfts chief strategy officer, in a press event at the companys San Francisco headquarters.

Perhaps the best way to understand the initiative is through the lens of the smartphone.

Ubers approach is closer to that of Apple: Both companies want to control most of the product, whether the software or the hardware.

Lyft, in contrast, is acting a bit more like Google in its development of the Android operating system. Both companies are creating software that many different hardware manufacturers can use, while developing the technology collaboratively with hardware partners. In Lyfts ideal world, that could mean a quicker spread of Lyfts technology among automakers.

Automakers are scrambling to develop their own self-driving technology as they imagine how they might operate in a future in which fewer people own cars. Collaborating with Lyft could help bring that technology to market faster, while automakers could provide Lyfts ride-hailing network with more cars to serve riders.

Lyft is seeing early signs of traction. Early partners include Waymo, nuTonomy, Jaguar, Land Rover and General Motors. The public details of the partnerships are scant, but all of the companies have committed to working together to make self-driving cars commonplace.

There are potential drawbacks. Partners could decide to leave the Open Platform Initiative and develop their own software. Or companies could be wary of teaming up with Lyft because it is developing its own self-driving system.

Lyft executives believe that the self-driving-car race is in its early days, and that companies that may consider one another rivals still have much to gain from collaborating and learning while building the automobile fleets of the future.

Lyft is not getting into the business of manufacturing a car, Mr. Kapoor said. Were on our way to creating a self-driving system. Then the auto industry can bring it to life.

A version of this article appears in print on July 22, 2017, on Page B6 of the New York edition with the headline: Lyft Sets Open Platform Approach to Self-Driving Cars.

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Lyft to Develop Self-Driving Car Technology in New Silicon Valley Facility - New York Times