In 2015, Google’s Self-Driving Driverless Car Project Fully Functional, Ready To Hit California Roads


In May, Google first unveiled the prototype to its self-driving vehicle project. The search engine giant’s friendly looking autonomous car is now fully equipped to take on California roads in 2015.

In a related report by the Inquisitr, an autonomous Audi RS7 topped off at 140 miles per hour while completing the Hockenheimring racetrack in Germany driverless.

In 2015, Google's Self-Driving Driverless Car Project Fully Functional Ready To Hit California Roads
In 2015, Google’s self-driving will be ready to drive on California roads.

Google’s autonomous self-driving vehicle is hitting the test tracks, but probably won’t be hitting the same speeds as Audi’s driverless RS7. The previous grey-colored prototype was controlled using buttons and had no steering wheel or brake pedal, the new vehicle has been given “typical ‘car’ parts” to comply with updated road laws in California state — meaning it can now be tested on public roads.

“The vehicle we unveiled in May didn’t even have real headlights,” said Google. California’s updated vehicle laws required the vehicle to still meet all the standards of a regular car, such as to include manual controls, which is a step back from the futuristic buttons only vehicle.

Google's self-driving prototype that had no steering wheel or pedals.
Google’s self-driving prototype that had no steering wheel or pedals.

Since the prototype released in May, Google has been working different projects to “fill out” the remaining typical car parts for their autonomous car, according to its post on G+.

“Since [May], we’ve been working on different prototypes-of-prototypes, each different systems of a self-driving car–for example, the typical “car” parts like steering and braking, as well as the “self-driving” parts like the computer and sensors.”

The below video is of the prototype revealed in May, with different volunteers taking rides who do notice the missing steering wheel.

Passengers are excited about their ride and comfort of the drive. The design even at this prototype stage was remarked as “impressive.”

In 2012, while Google was developing its self-driving technology, it released a video of their modified vehicle driving a blind man around town.

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