"“You could see Google as an operator of these networks, either directly owning and operating the vehicles, or closely partnered with another entity or entities that does,” said Stanford School of Law professor and autonomous-vehicle expert Bryant Walker Smith. For production of self-driving cars, Google would probably work with a carmaker, Smith said.
Although Google is an internet company, it has launched hardware and services such as Google Express for grocery delivery, indicating it might see opportunity in operating on-demand transportation and delivery services, Smith said.
Google will continue to compete against Uber in the self-driving business, Smith believes. “They’re likely to become bigger competitors, and I imagine they will try to match each other in some of their domains,” he said."