Google has revealed the first road-going version of its Self-Driving Car Project, which the company hopes will hit Californian streets next year.
The company unveiled a mockup, along with a viral video, from its Self-Driving Car Project in May. Its cute panda-like looks and contentious technology split auto enthusiasts, but caught the public’s attention.
Now, just before Christmas, the search giant has revealed a working version of the car which, at least structurally, is road-ready.
The new version of the car features an updated design, which not only changes the body colour scheme, but also adds working headlights. There’s also a larger wing mirror pod and slimmed down camera pod on the roof.
On the inside the new car also has an emergency steering wheel and brake pedals, so the “safety driver” can take over as required.
According to Google, the updated car will still be limited to the company’s test track, but real world tests should begin in northern California some time in the new year.
