Google’s self-driving car project logs 300,000 miles, adds Lexus RX450h to the family

Google has good news for all of us this morning, saying that its self-driving car project has successfully completed more than 300,000 miles of testing. Google proudly announced that about a dozen of its self-driving cars were tested on a wide range of traffic conditions, and that there hasn’t been a single accident under computer control. Well, except for one incident last year that was due to an error committed by the driver. Google also broke the news that it is adding a new type of vehicle to its self-driving car family to help refine its systems in different environments and on different terrain.

The newly added car is the Lexus RX450h that’s similar to the car shown above. Google noted that there’s still a long road ahead. “To provide the best experience we can, we’ll need to master snow-covered roadways, interpret temporary construction signals and handle other tricky situations that many drivers encounter,” said Chris Urmson, the engineering lead at Google. As the next step, the members of the self-driving car team will soon start using the cars solo, rather than in pairs, to bring the technology a step closer to its commuters. Cheers!

Gene Ryan Briones
Categories: Transportation
Tags: Google