Self-Driving Apple Lexus Snapped

Apple Inc. has begun tests in California of its autonomous vehicle technology in a specially equipped Lexus RX450h SUV.

Loaded with an array of sensors, the vehicle was photographed this week leaving Apple’s facility in Silicon Valley. The photos were published by Bloomberg News.

The sensors look to be off-the-shelf devices from suppliers rather than customized systems from Apple, an unnamed industry expert tells Bloomberg. The person identified several cameras, two radar units and Velodyne Lidar Inc.'s 64-channel lidar.

Last October Apple reportedly deployed dozens of software engineers in Canada to develop an operating system for autonomous vehicles. A month later the company told the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration it was “investing heavily” in automated systems, and it received clearance earlier this month from the California Department of Motor gave Apple clearance to conduct trials with three test vehicles.

Apple is the 30th company in the past three years to receive permission from California's DMV to test autonomous vehicles on public roads. Alphabet Inc.'s Waymo and startup Zoox Inc. also are using specially equipped Lexus RX450 models to test their technologies.