Samsung gets approval to test self-driving cars in the US

Samsung has received permission from the California Department of Motor Vehicles to test self-driving cars. Apple and Google’s sister company Waymo also have such permission.

The government agency confirms the approval by adding Samsung to the publicly available list of companies that are allowed to test self-driving cars in California. With that permission, Samsung can send self-developed self-driving cars on public roads and the testing is not limited to its own terrain. The company is allowed to carry out tests with a Hyundai car in its home country of South Korea.

It is unknown what exactly Samsung wants to achieve with tests of self-driving cars. In a statement to Reuters, the South Korean manufacturer says it does not want to become a car manufacturer, but that it is working towards a “smarter, safer future for transport”.

In 2015, Samsung announced that it was setting up a new team to work on self-driving car technologies. The team would mainly work on the various components for a self-driving car, rather than focusing on building an entire vehicle. The development would mainly focus on in-car entertainment, satellite navigation and autonomous driving technologies. With this, Samsung hopes to set up a new profitable division.

Samsung co-owns RSM, a car manufacturer that markets cars in South Korea under the Samsung brand. The main owner of RSM is the French Renault, which owns more than two-thirds of the company.