Google has announced its self-driving car back in June, but recently, the company showed the world the “first real build” of the vehicle.
According to Google, the first version was just an early “mock-up”. It didn’t even have working headlights. Since then, Google’s been improving upon the prototype by testing out different options to make the self-driving car more suitable for everyday drivers.
The double seats car has an electric battery, and the speed can reach 25 mph. When the car was revealed, Google said it will eventually travel up to 100 mph. The car also has a software that guides the vehicle without any human interference.
However, it is worth to note that other automobile manufacturers are working on driverless car project as well. Audi, for one, got a permit in September to test out its self-driving vehicle in California. BMW is working on a car that can be parked using a smartwatch app.
For now, Google is going to spend the holidays testing out the latest prototype on closed tracks. The test drivers are using manual controls with the vehicle, for now, to learn more and perfect the technology. As for when it actually hits streets for real, Google aims to have the vehicle zipping around Northern California in the new year.
However, it’s still unclear when an everyday person will be able to get in the non-driver’s seat. California’s Department of Motor Vehicles put off adopting a set of new rules for driverless cars on Tuesday. The DMV will not allow the general public to use self-driving cars until it’s certain that they are completely safe.