Google reportedly scales down its self-driving car project

Google's quest to build a self-driving car has been one of the best-documented projects in tech history.

For years, Google has bombarded us with regular updates on the development of its self-driving tech, culminating in May 2014, when the company announced an actual product prototype: a self-driving car without a steering wheel or pedals.

Now, according to The Information's report Monday, those plans have been significantly scaled down.

Instead of a vehicle without a steering wheel, Alphabet -- the parent company of Google since 2015 -- is reportedly looking to partner with car makers to create cars that have self-driving tech on top of standard controls for humans.

With the help of these partners, the report claims, Google could launch a ride-sharing service with autonomous vehicles by the end of 2017.

Furthermore, the self-driving unit at Google X, a special projects research and development unit, might get moved into a separate business unit under Alphabet.

Google has a self-driving car-related event scheduled in California today, so we likely won't have to wait too long to hear whether this report is true.