Apple obtains license to test self-driving car in California

Apple has obtained a license to test self-driving cars in the US state of California. This is apparent from a change on the DMV site. There have been rumors for some time that Apple is working on a self-driving car.

The change on the California DMV site shows that Apple has been added to the list of licensees. According to the description, it is required to apply for such a permit in order to be allowed to test on public roads. Other companies on the list, which includes a total of thirty organizations, include Google, Tesla, Nvidia, Bosch and BMW. While the addition doesn’t necessarily mean Apple will actually conduct testing, it’s a sign that the company is still working on the technology.

In 2015, it emerged that Apple was in talks with the state of California about testing autonomous vehicles. Since then, however, reports have also surfaced that the Cupertino-based company was reviewing its strategy in this area. Bloomberg reported in October that the emphasis was no longer on building your own car, but on developing the necessary software in collaboration with existing car manufacturers. Apple is said to have given the team until the end of this year to explore the feasibility of autonomous vehicles.

The New York Times previously reported that Project Titan, as the project is known internally, was in dire straits. For example, Apple has previously fired dozens of members of the team after it appointed veteran Bob Mansfield to lead the project. In December, Apple did send a letter to the NHTSA, stating that it “is investing heavily in machine learning and automated systems, including in the field of transportation,” according to The Verge.