Personal electronic devices, such as the iPhone the MacBook, have been Apple’s bread and butter for quite some time. The tech giant, however, is actively diversifying its brand in big ways, including entering the automotive industry.
Apple was granted a permit Friday to test self-driving vehicles in California, according to Automotive News. Apple joins a list of 29 other companies allowed to test driverless vehicles in the the Golden State.
The news doesn’t confirm whether Apple is developing its own driverless vehicle or if it’s strictly working on self-driving technology. But the report substantiates rumors of the company looking to join the autonomous-vehicle revolution.
“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,” Chris Theodore, former vice president at Ford, said, via Automotive News.
Though no specific start date is known at this time, Apple soon will begin testing its autonomous tech in three 2015 Lexus RF450h SUVs, according to Bloomberg.
Thumbnail photo via Flickr/JeanbaptisteM
