Apple joins list that includes Tesla, Google and others jockeying to bring driverless cars to the masses
Apple Inc. has received permission from California to test autonomous vehicles on the state’s public roads, joining a growing list of tech companies, startups and car makers jockeying to make self-driving cars a common sight globally.
Companies that have received a permit for the testing include Alphabet Inc. (GOOG) Tesla Inc. (TSLA) and Nvidia Corp. (NVDA) as well as auto makers such as General Motors Co. (GM) and Ford Motor Co. (F) and startups such as Faraday Future and Zoox Inc.
The California Department of Motor Vehicles’ permit issued to Apple (AAPL) covers three vehicles, all 2015 Lexus RX540h, and six drivers, a DMV spokesperson said in an emailed statement. The Lexus is luxury SUV.
Earlier this month, privately held Uber Technologies Inc. was granted the same type of permit for two vehicles and 48 approved drivers. Uber had initially started its tests without a permit in December only to have the program shut down by the state’s DMV.
Meanwhile, GM said Thursday it plans to invest $14 million and create more than 1,000 jobs in a California facility to advance its self-driving car technology and zero-emissions vehicles. Ford, which has beefed up its presence in Silicon Valley, said last year it could sell a driverless car in five years.
Apple reportedly has been working on a driverless car for several years under the code name Project Titan, but has never publicly disclosed the effort despite issuing opinions about regulations for driverless cars.
Such efforts have excited some observers who believe Apple needs to add another big-ticket item to continue to grow as its iPhone sales level out. Not everyone believes the company can succeed in the field, however.
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