Mexican Media Brands
Google Cars to Hit the Road This Summer
Google Inc. plans to begin testing a few of its new self-driving prototype vehicle on public roads near its headquarters in Mountain View, Calif., this summer.
Share
Google Inc. plans to begin testing a few of its new self-driving prototype vehicle on public roads near its headquarters in Mountain View, Calif., this summer. It has been testing the unnamed model on closed roads and test tracks.
Provisional drivers will ride in the vehicles during the road tests and can take control of the cars if necessary. The company plans to allow consumers to test the cars within two years and hopes to begin selling autonomous vehicles within five years.
The Internet-search giant has been road testing a version of the Lexus RX 450h crossover vehicle, which it modified for autonomous driving, since last September.
Google's new pod-like prototype uses the same basic software as the autonomous RX 450h but was built from the ground up to drive on its own. It uses hidden sensors and sophisticated algorithms to help it navigate roadways, traffic and other obstacles. Top speed is limited to 25 mph.
Earlier this week, Google revealed that the self-driving RX 450h and other autonomous test vehicles have been involved in 11 minor accidents over the last six years. The cars weren't at fault in any of the accidents, according to the company.
RELATED CONTENT
-
On Electric Pickups, Flying Taxis, and Auto Industry Transformation
Ford goes for vertical integration, DENSO and Honeywell take to the skies, how suppliers feel about their customers, how vehicle customers feel about shopping, and insights from a software exec
-
Robotic Exoskeleton Amplifies Human Strength
The Sarcos Guardian XO Max full-body, all-electric exoskeleton features strength amplification of up to 20 to 1, making 200 pounds—the suit’s upper limit—feel like 10 pounds for the user.
-
Things to Know About Cam Grinding
By James Gaffney, Product Engineer, Precision Grinding and Patrick D. Redington, Manager, Precision Grinding Business Unit, Norton Company (Worcester, MA)
