Project Titan

Apple continues to ramp up testing of its self-driving car technology in California

Chance Miller | Jul 18 2018 - 10:49 am PT

Apple is continuing to expand its testing of autonomous vehicles. According to new details from macReports, the company now has upwards of 65 autonomous vehicles on the road in California, continuing the gradual increase that has been taking place over recent months…

This information comes from records filed with the California Department of Motor Vehicles. Apple is still not the most prolific tester of autonomous vehicles in the state, with GM Cruise leading the way at 117 cars with 333 drivers. Waymo is in second with some 72 cars and 411 drivers.

Apple comes in next with 66 cars and 111 drivers. While the company is testing autonomous vehicles in California, it does not yet hold a driverless car permit. This means that there is still someone behind the wheel overseeing the testing of the cars at this point.

Apple’s rise to 66 autonomous vehicles comes as it has gradually expanded its fleet in California. For instance, in May, the company had just over 50 self-driving cars on the road in California.

While Apple lags behind companies such as GM Cruise and Waymo, it still has a sizable lead on Tesla and other companies, such as Toyota.

Apple’s end goal with its autonomous testing is still unclear. In May, it was reported that Apple reached a self-driving car deal with Volkswagen. Under this agreement, the company plans to turn Volkswagen’s T6 Transport van into self-driving shuttles for its employees.

As time progresses, it’s likely that Apple will continue to expand its self-driving testing in California and around the country, especially as its partnership with Volkswagen ramps up.