Apple Can Now Legally Test Its Autonomous Driving Tech
The tech giant has received a permit to test self-driving cars in California.
The California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) has released an updated list of companies with the ability to test autonomous vehicles in the state, and at the bottom of that new list is Apple, Inc. Over the last couple years, there have been plenty of rumors of Apple wanting to get involved in the automotive market, but last year it was reported the company had abandoned plans to bring its own car to market. Instead, Apple will focus on automonous driving technology, similar to tech rival Google.
SEE ALSO: Apple Abandons Plans to Build Its Own Car
The California DMV confirmed to TechCrunch that Apple has been issued an autonomous vehicle test permit and the permit covers three 2015 Lexus RX 450h test vehicles and six drivers. The Lexus RX 450h is also the vehicle Google has used to test its self-driving technology.
It’s likely we won’t see a self-driving Apple test car immediately on roadways, but it’s just a matter of time before the company starts real-world testing. Like other companies with an autonomous vehicle permit in California, Apple will have to submit reports that include a log of every instance where a human driver had to take over during testing. Since those reports are public, we’ll learn more about Apple’s self-driving efforts when they get published.
[Source: TechCrunch]
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Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.
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Sorry, but I just can't get excited about news like this.