GPEC Driverless vehicles: A thriving ecosystem PROVING GROUNDS ∙ Chrysler ∙ Ford ∙ General Motors ∙ Komatsu ∙ Nissan ∙ Toyota
BREAKING GROUND:
The Downtown Chandler Community Partnership and Waymo helped Chandler become the first city to offer subsidized rides to thousands of eligible Waymo passengers when their destination of choice is Downtown Chandler. (Provided photo)
AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES
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rom driverless cars and aircraft, innovation is happening in Greater Phoenix faster than you can imagine, according to GPEC. Companies in Metro Phoenix include those in manufacturing as well as the components, software, and communications systems that power and operate them. “I was with Steve Wozniak five years ago,” says Chris Camacho, president and CEO of the Greater Phoenix Economic Council. “I asked him what he was spending his time on. He said, ‘By 2018 you’ll see autonomous vehicles on the road.’ And at the time, we didn’t know what that term was. But here we are today, seeing very wide-scale deployment right here in Arizona.” Since 2015, when Gov. Doug Ducey signed an executive order to reduce barriers to testing driverless vehicles in Arizona, autonomous vehicles have been a hot topic in Metro Phoenix. Driverless vehicles are changing the world we live in, and Greater Phoenix is leading the way in supporting the development and testing of this transformative technology. Enabling programs and policy have made Arizona a top destination for driverless vehicle testing — including Waymo, which was founded by Google — and a supportive
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supply chain and electronics cluster make it ideal for new software and hardware system development and innovation. Consider this: • More than 4,000 local graduates fueled the driverless vehicle talent pipeline in 2015-2016. • There are six automotive proving grounds in Greater Phoenix. • Metro Phoenix is the second-fastest growing market for electric vehicles in the United States. • The Valley boasts an excellent infrastructure and weather for testing vehicles. Metro Phoenix has utilized its advantageous weather to help drive Waymo, which has driven 10 million miles on public roads — many of them in Arizona — since it began testing in 2009 “While we’ve made great strides thanks to these 10 million miles, the next 10 million will focus on turning our advanced technology into a service that people will use and love,” says Waymo CEO John Krafcik. The company’s engineers and scientists are applying advanced artificial intelligence and new in-house designed sensing systems to help the vehicles navigate complex weather conditions, which are difficult even for human drivers.
AUTOMAKERS ∙ Local Motors ∙ Lucid Motors INNOVATION ∙ GM AZ IT Innovation Center ∙ Intertek Phoenix Auto Lab AUTONOMOUS ∙ Cruise Automation ∙ Ford ∙ General Motors ∙ Intel ∙ Uber ∙ Waymo SUPPLY CHAIN ∙ Amsafe Aviation ∙ Atsco Remanufacturing ∙ Special Devices ∙ TRW Vehicle Safety Systems TALENT DISPOSITION ∙ Density of workers ∙ Ease of hiring FUTURE PIPELINE ∙ Arizona Advanced Manufacturing Institute ∙ Arizona State University ∙ East Valley Institute of Technology ∙ Embry-Riddle ∙ Grand Canyon University ∙ Maricopa Community College ∙ University of Advancing Technology ∙ University of Arizona ∙ University of Phoenix ∙ West-MEC OPERATING ENVIRONMENT ∙ Economic development programs ∙ Fiber capacity ∙ Low disaster risk ∙ Low taxes/open regulatory environment ∙ Robust electrical redundancy rates Source: GPEC