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