Google appears to be pushing ahead with its plans for a self-driving car with the tech company reportedly engaged in "late stage talks" with Fiat Chrysler about a potential partnership.
In a recent article by The Wall Street Journal, Google is said to have been in negotiations with the Italian-American automaker for several months and is now poised to close an agreement.
Google has been in search for a car manufacturer who can help continue its plans of creating vehicles with self-driving technology. The company said that it doesn't want to build the cars themselves, but rather, it would like to serve as an auto supplier instead.
In December, Google and Ford were reported to be in talks about starting a new company dedicated to the creation of self-driving cars. While this partnership would seem like a good fit, business experts believe a deal between Google and Fiat Chrysler would even be better.
Fiat Chrysler has been looking for potential partners of its own to help the automaker offset costs for development and production.
The automaker's CEO Sergio Marchionne pointed out that industry players have to produce on a bigger scale in order to achieve better returns on their investments. He said that they are open to the idea of entering a partnership with a tech giant such as Google or Apple.
Auto industry analyst Karl Brauer explained that car companies are now trying to break into the tech space because they are aware that it is where their future lies. Tech companies, on the other hand, are trying to find a way to enter the automotive industry.
Brauer said that a partnership between Google and Fiat Chrysler could help both companies become leaders in this pivotal race.
Alphabet, Google's parent company, has spent the past six years trying to perfect its technology for self-driving vehicles. So far, the company has logged over 1.5 million miles to test its self-driving capabilities in a real-world setting.
Both Google and Fiat Chrysler have yet to confirm the reported partnership deal.
