Tokyo: Toyota Motor plans to spend $2.8 billion to make sure its system for writing the software for self-driving cars will be just as efficient as the factories that build them.
The company needs faster and more reliable methods for writing software because self-driving cars require “millions and millions” of lines of computer code, according to James Kuffner, who’ll lead the new effort. That compares with tens of thousands of lines of code in cars just a generation ago.
The Japanese automaker is seeking an edge over rival car giants as well as newcomers such as Alphabet Inc’s Waymo as the industry charts a path toward selfdriving vehicles. Kuffner said he plans to hire 1,000 programmers as soon as he can find them, seeking to lure global talent.
“We’re not just doubling down but quadrupling down in terms of the budget,” Kuffner said in an interview. “We have nearly $4 billion to really have Toyota become a new mobility company that is world class in software.’’
AFP