2024 Chrysler Pacifica Touring L on 2040-cars

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Fiat seeking autonomous partnerships with Uber and Amazon

If Fiat Chrysler Automobiles CEO Sergio Marchionne can't find another automaker to partner with, he'll have to look elsewhere. Like, outside the traditional automotive industry entirely, if recent reports are to be believed. According to Bloomberg and Business Insider, Fiat is pursuing relationships with Uber and Amazon for self-driving vehicles. This news comes shortly after FCA announced an official tie-up with Google to turn 100 Chrysler Pacifica minivans into autonomobiles. Uber might want to venture into self-driven vehicles for its ride-hailing service, cutting out the expense of human drivers. For its part, Amazon could use autonomous vehicles for deliveries from its online shopping destinations. FCA's interest in these endeavors seems to revolve around their vehicles being used as platforms for software and bespoke hardware setups created by the tech companies. There's no indication of what vehicles FCA would provide to either Uber or Amazon, but something minivan shaped could capably serve both the ride-sharing and package delivery service industries. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. News Source: Bloomberg, Business InsiderImage Credit: Jeff Kowalsky/Bloomberg via Getty Green Chrysler Fiat Transportation Alternatives Technology Emerging Technologies Autonomous Vehicles Uber Sergio Marchionne FCA Amazon

Weekly Recap: Obama reflects on the auto bailout's legacy

President Obama took a victory lap of sorts this week at the Detroit Auto Show, lauding the industry's progress and reflecting on the decision to bail out General Motors and Chrysler seven years ago. While the rescue was controversial at the time, historians will likely judge the president's actions to help save two of America's industrial symbols in a positive light. Much like Theodore Roosevelt's trust-busting tactics were controversial in the early 20th century, Obama's plan drew fire from critics who argued the free market should be left to its own devices. But providing financial aid and forcing the automakers to restructure had an enduring impact on the US economy. The auto industry has added more than 646,000 jobs since the companies emerged from bankruptcy, including manufacturing and retail positions. Make no mistake, GM and Chrysler were nearly dead in 2009. Now, GM is a powerhouse that's set to capitalize on a market that could see 18 million vehicles sold this year. Chrysler, which was renamed FCA US, survived as part of the Italian-American Fiat Chrysler Automobiles conglomerate. It's also performed well amid the strong industry conditions, though CEO Sergio Marchionne very publicly went looking for alliance partners last year, something from which he's since backed off. While Obama can claim a win, the bailout was actually started by George W. Bush, who provided short-term loans to GM and Chrysler in December 2008. Without that, they might not have made it much past Obama's inauguration. NEWS & ANALYSIS News: Spy Shooters captured the next-gen BMW Z4 during extreme cold weather testing. Analysis: The upcoming Z4 (which might be called the Z5) looks sharp. But the big deal is that BMW's much-anticipated sports-car project with Toyota is coming to fruition. Refresher: BMW and Toyota agreed to work together back in December 2011 and then announced an expansion of that deal to include sports cars in June 2012. Ultimately, it will provide BMW with a new Z4 and Toyota with another sports car, perhaps the Supra replacement. BMW is developing the platform, while Toyota is expected to chip in with hybrid technology. Big picture, this project is a good thing. It's providing enthusiasts with two modern sports cars that Toyota and BMW might not chose to develop on their own. This template has been shown to work, as the Fiat-Mazda alliance produced the MX-5 Miata and 124 Spider. News: The Jeep Grand Cherokee Hellcat was also spied, briefly.

4 ways FCA-PSA merger could be a plus

DETROIT — In a merger deal announced overnight, Fiat Chrysler stands to gain electric vehicle technology while PSA Peugeot Citroen could benefit from a badly needed dealership network to reach its goal of selling vehicles in the U.S. The merger would create the world's fourth-largest automaker with a combined market value of around $50 billion. Neither company would comment. Experts say the two automakers will be able to share car, SUV and commercial vehicle designs, helping each other fill weaknesses and share costs that will make them a strong global player. "We view the combination of these two companies as reasonable given global competition, high capital intensity, and industry disruption from electrified powertrain as well as autonomous technologies," Morningstar analyst Richard Hilgert wrote in a note to investors. Here are four areas that could be crucial to the two automakers' success: Technology For years, Fiat Chrysler has lagged its rivals in electric vehicle technology, with its former CEO once trying to discourage people from buying its only fully electric car in the United States, the Fiat 500E, because he lost money on each sale. The company has made progress on gas-electric hybrids and may have plans for more fully electric vehicles, but PSA has valuable technology that FCA can use, said Navigant Research analyst Sam Abuelsamid. Peugeot was relatively late to the electric vehicle game but is now working fast to catch up, notably with fellow French rival Renault. CEO Carlos Tavares has made a point of stressing the company's need to adapt to changing technology at car shows and earnings calls. Last year he announced plans to offer 40 electric models across its lineup by 2025. "Electrification hasn't been a huge part of their play up until now," Abuelsamid said. "Between the two of them, I think they could generate some scale for whatever they're doing, sharing component costs, development costs across electrical platforms," he said. More electric vehicles also would help FCA meet pollution and fuel economy regulations in Europe. As far as autonomous vehicles, neither company is among the leaders, Abuelsamid said. But that's a technology that's years into the future, giving them time to share the huge expenses and catch up together. FCA also has alliances with other companies such as Google spinoff Waymo that could bring autonomous vehicle technology to the market when ready, Abuelsamid said.