Waymo, the self-driving Google spin-off, is getting ready to seriously expand its operations. On Tuesday morning, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles announced it has signed an agreement to supply Waymo with "thousands" of Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivans. Originally, Waymo was testing in California with bespoke R&D vehicles, but made the switch to using Pacifica Hybrids in early 2017. Currently, Waymo operates a fleet of around 600 of these autonomous minivans; these are mostly in the Phoenix area, although it tests in a number of other locations including snowy Michigan and Atlanta.

"With the world’s first fleet of fully self-driving vehicles on the road, we’ve moved from research and development, to operations and deployment," said John Krafcik, CEO of Waymo. "The Pacifica Hybrid minivans offer a versatile interior and a comfortable ride experience, and these additional vehicles will help us scale."

This news confirms that the race to field—as opposed to just test—"level 4" autonomous vehicles (which will be geofenced) is now between Waymo and General Motors.

A recent report from industry analysts Navigant identified those two programs as the current pack leaders in self-driving technology. Waymo was the first to deploy autonomous vehicles and put them to use giving people rides in Phoenix, and our own Tim Lee got a ride in one at Waymo's private test facility in California last October.

But GM has been busy too. It announced last November it wants to begin testing in Manhattan in 2018, surely a difficult challenge given the bus-sized potholes, dense vehicle and pedestrian traffic, unpredictable weather, and a population not known for its patience with other drivers. What's more, at the beginning of the year GM petitioned the US Department of Transportation to allow it to deploy its latest autonomous vehicle—based on the Chevrolet Bolt EV but called the Cruise AV—without any steering wheel or pedals. (The petition, if granted, would allow GM to build many more than the 2,500 vehicles currently allowed under DOT rules.)

Waymo's Pacifica Hybrids will still keep the wheel and pedals in front of the driver's seat, and we're unsure of exactly how many vehicles this order involves—the press release was no more specific than "thousands," with deliveries beginning in late 2018. The job of managing the fleet will fall to Avis, which signed a partnership with Waymo in 2017 to service and store the vehicles when they're not pounding out the miles.