A Google self-driving car is seen inside a lobby at the Google headquarters in Mountain View, California November 13, 2015.
Reuters/Stephen Lam
Alphabet Inc's Google self-driving car project said Wednesday it will launch this year a new technology development center in suburban Detroit.
The Mountain View, Calif. search company said in a blog post that engineers at the facility, located in Novi, Mich., will start with work fitting the company's autonomous driving systems into Chrysler Pacifica mini vans, under a previously announced agreement with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV.
Google said the 53,000 square foot facility "will help us collaborate more easily and access Michigan's top talent in vehicle development and engineering" as it develops its self-driving vehicle systems.
(Reporting By Joseph White; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)