Although Google has a leg up on automakers in the development of self-driving cars, it is clear that the car companies don’t plan to cede this technology to the tech giant.
Audi said Monday that Nevada granted it a permit to operate a self-driving car in the state. It is only the second permit granted by Nevada — the first went to Google.
Audi has a car, an Audi TTS, that was developed jointly by the Volkswagen Group Electronics Research Lab in Silicon Valley and Stanford University. It was able to complete a 156-turn, 12.42-mile circuit up Pikes Peak in Colorado in just 27 minutes.
The German automaker, owned by Volkswagen, said it “envisions motorists enjoying the convenience of allowing the car to handle mundane stop-and-go driving conditions, for example, while still being able to take control of the car when needed. In this way, the technology is similar to auto-pilot systems found on jetliners. Likewise, autonomous or piloted parking would let future Audi models park safely without a driver at the wheel in tight parking spaces.”
Google has about a dozen self-driving cars in operation — all with a human behind the wheel ready to take over at any time. The cars have driven a combined 300,000 miles in varied traffic conditions without any accidents while under computer control.
Read more: Chicago Tribune
