Ex-Google self-driving car boss inks deal to speed up VW, Hyundai autonomous cars

USA TODAY's Jefferson Graham gives his list of what he thinks are the coolest tech innovations of 2017. The Volkwagen Group plans to roll out a fleet of self-driving shared mobility vehicles like this prototype, called Sedric, with the help of startup Aurora. SAN FRANCISCO -- The new year is barely off the starting line and the self-driving car race already has kicked into a higher gear. Chris Urmson, formerly head of Google's self-driving car program, announced Thursday that his new company Aurora has inked partnerships with Volkswagen Group and Hyundai aimed at helping both automakers accelerate their autonomous car programs. "Our mission is to get this tech out quickly, safely and broadly," says Urmson, who left Google's program, now called Waymo, in 2016.