BlankApple is going to test self-driving cars Apple will begin testing
self-driving car technology in California, its first public move into a highly
competitive
field that could radically change transportation. (Tony Gutierrez / Associated
Press) By Brian Fung The Washington Post . After months of speculation that
the company is developing automotive technology, Apple has leapt into the war
for self-driving cars by obtaining a test permit from California regulators.
The permit allows Apple to begin testing up to three Lexus SUVs similar to the
type that Google uses for its autonomous cars. By obtaining clearance from
California's Department of Motor Vehicles, Apple is signaling that it is
serious
about pushing forward with self-driving technology despite reports last
fall that it was scaling back its ambitions. California's DMV disclosed the
permit on its website, which lists several dozen other companies that are
testing
self-driving technology. The group includes BMW, Ford, Honda, Nissan and
others.
Uber has also said that it will seek certification for testing. Like those
other companies, Apple's test vehicles will have human drivers behind the wheel
when they go out on public roads, according to Bloomberg News. Apple's
penchant for designing sleek hardware got many people excited for the prospect
of a vehicle designed by the company. Last April, Motor Trend published
what it billed as an exclusive set of Apple car renderings but what was
dramatically hyped on social media turned out to be speculative mock-ups by
outside
artists. But with its permit, Apple is leaping into an increasingly competitive
race to build the world's first mainstream self-driving car. The technology
has the potential to reshape how people work, play and commute; proponents say
automating vehicles will help reduce congestion and prevent crashes caused
by human error, which according to federal statistics account for 95 percent of
all accidents. Apple declined to comment, referring to public remarks that
it had submitted to federal highway authorities in November on its research
into
automation. "There are many potential applications for these technologies,
including the future of transportation, so we want to work with NHTSA to help
define the best practices for the industry," Apple wrote to the National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Apple joins driverless car test applicants Mike Snider and Elizabeth Weise ,
USA
TODAY Apple has joined the dozens of tech companies seeking to test self-driving
cars in California. The Cupertino, Calif. -based'tech giant has long been
rumored to be working on its own autonomous vehicle as part of an initiative
called Project Titan, but has never confirmed its plans. However, the company
appeared Friday on the state's Department of Motor Vehicle's list of approved
applicants to test autonomous vehicles. That list had already included
companies
such as'Tesla, Google and Uber, along with car makers including BMW, Ford,
Honda and Volkswagen. 'For a company that has yet to publicly acknowledge its
efforts in this area this is as close to a tacit admission," said Michael
Ramsey, a self-driving car analyst with Gartner. "It will be interesting to see
what form the test vehicles take and what can be gleaned about Apple's
strategy. Apple's state vehicle testing permit covers three vehicles, all of
them 2015 Lexus RX540h, and six drivers, according to Business Insider, which
it learned from the DMV. The business news site along with MarketWatch and
VentureBeat were among the first outlets to report the development. Related:
Apple is the 30th company to be approved by the state for autonomous vehicle
testing. As many as 12 million autonomous vehicles will be on the road worldwide
by 2025, innovation that will create a $42 billion annual industry, according
to
The Boston Consulting Group. Apple did offer an inkling of its strategy
in a December 2016 letter sent to the'National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA) about the Department of Transportation's Federal
Automated
Vehicles Policy. "The company is investing heavily in the study of machine
learning and automation, and is excited about the potential of automated systems
in many areas, including transportation," wrote Steve Kenner, Apple's director
of product integrity. "So we want to work with NHTSA to help define the
best practices for the industry. Kenner also said Apple supports various
methods
of crash simulations and cybersecurity and safety analysis. Companies
should share "de-identified" data from crashes or near-misses to help improve
self-driving technology, but must protect consumers' privacy in doing so,
he said in the letter. '"Data sharing should not come at the cost of privacy,"
said Kenner. "Apple believes that companies should invest the resources
necessary to protect individuals' fundamental right to privacy.