Google to open self-driving development center

DETROIT — John Krafcik, CEO of Google’s self-driving car project, said Wednesday that the tech giant will open a 53,000-square-foot development center in suburban Detroit.

Krafcik, in a Google Plus post, said the development center will serve as a hub that Google will use to work with a number of partners in the automotive industry.

Google has been working on self-driving cars for more than six years. Last month, Google announced a partnership with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles to transform 100 2017 Chrysler Pacifica hybrid minivans into self-driving vehicles.

“For the past few years, members of our team have been working from the Greater Detroit area. Now it’s time to lay down roots: we’re establishing a self-driving technology development center,” Krafcik said.

“Many of our current partners are based here, so having a local facility will help us collaborate more easily and access Michigan’s top talent in vehicle development and engineering. At this 53,000-square-foot development center, our engineers, working with local partners, will further develop and refine self-driving technology. One of the first tasks will be to ready our self-driving Pacifica hybrid minivans.”

Krafcik said Google will be moving in this year. He did not provide an exact location.

While Google parent company Alphabet also has offices in the university town of Ann Arbor and another Detroit suburb, this would be the tech company’s first office in Michigan for the testing and development of autonomous vehicles.