New Automated Cars from Google Available For Testing Soon

Automated cars from Google will be available for public testing in the next year, according to the technology giant.

The two-seat electric vehicle may take some getting used to for operators. There are no pedals or a steering wheel in the new car. Sensors are able to detect obstacles up to 600 feet away from the automobile. Test versions also have a top speed of 25 miles an hour. That limit was imposed on the engine to keep pedestrians safe.

Google and Microsoft have been competing for several years, attempting to produce the first fully-functional automated automobiles. This latest design is the first model Google has designed as an automated vehicle from the start. Earlier prototypes focused on retrofitting traditional electric cars for computer control.

Google announced they will have around 200 of the new vehicles ready for testing on California roads within a year. A human operating a joystick will be able to guide the car in an emergency.

The cars were built in Michigan, and software and electronics to guide the vehicles were manufactured in Silicon Valley.

The announcement was made at the Code Conference, held in Los Angeles.

The biggest challenge facing any manufacturer of automated cars may be more psychological than technological. Fleets of such vehicles could transport people around a city, acting as an automated taxi service. This would greatly reduce the need for personal automobiles. Americans have long had a love affair with personal cars, and overcoming that may be the biggest hurdle the new technology faces.

Even if operational tests are successful, it will still take several years for the vehicles to pass safety testing to meet government standards. Google developers say they are confident their new design will prove to be even safer than traditional cars, operated by human beings.