Apple to Test Self-Driving Cars in California
The
renowned multinational technology firm based in America received a permit to
test self-driving cars in California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV)
United
States: The technology
giant of America, Apple Inc., has recently acquired an official permit to test
autonomous cars on public roads in the state of California, United States.
Apple has added its name to a long list
of permit holders among companies such as Tesla, Ford, BMW, Google, Nissan,
etc., that acutely took part in Autonomous Vehicle Tester Program in the state
of California. As per the permit by state DMV, Apple can perform test drives in
three vehicles, i.e. all 2015 Lexus RX450h model, along with six drivers, in
total.
"This does confirm what's long been
rumored: that Apple is at least toying with the idea of getting into the
autonomous game in some capacity. This is not necessarily automobiles as
initially rumored, but software or possibly hardware associated with autonomous
technology," said Chris Theodore, currently President of Theodore &
Associates as well as former Vice President at Ford Motor Co (F.N) and
Chrysler.
However, the permit by state DMV does
not allow Apple to build its own autonomous car.
"The company is investing heavily
in the study of machine learning and automation, and is excited about the
potential of automated systems in many areas, including transportation.",
added the Product Integrity Director of Apple, Steve Kenner.
The CEO of the company, Tim Cook, while
showing an expanding interest in the recent move proclaimed that Apple is
looking forward to surpass beyond the integration of smartphones to autonomous
vehicle technology systems.
TechSci Research believes that the constantly
testing and evolving self-driving technology around the globe is anticipated to
further lead to greater advancements in the autonomous vehicle technology,
thereby, generating the demand of autonomous vehicles across the globe in coming
years. Besides that, the addition of IT multinational in the autonomous self-driving
testing, would act as a step forward towards success in the automotive industry
for future driverless cars, thereby, contributing to the growth of overall
industry in following years.
According to a recent report published
by TechSci Research, “Global
Autonomous Car Technology Market Forecast and
Opportunities, 2035 – ADAS, Semi-Autonomous, Fully-Autonomous”, global autonomous car technology market
is expected to witness a CAGR of over 10% through 2035. The market is currently
dominated by ADAS segment, which is expected to maintain its dominance over the
next twenty years as well. The dominance of this segment can be attributed to
anticipated increase in government regulations pertaining to integration of
ADAS technologies in passenger cars. Further, semi-autonomous car technology is
expected to witness robust growth over the next ten years, owing to anticipated
decline in its average selling price coupled with rising volume sales.
Region-wise, North America has emerged as the largest contributor in the market
for autonomous car technology, followed by Europe, Asia-Pacific (APAC) and
Middle East North Africa (MENA).