Google has moved ahead with the self-driving car project with introduction of the new completely self-driving car prototype in the US.
The new car does not have a steering wheel, accelerator pedal, or brake pedal as it is completely machine controlled. It has a maximum speed of 25mph.
The self-driving car is claimed to have a push button that allows the passengers to select the route and destination using a touch screen.
Google Self-Driving Car Project director Chris Urmson said the vehicles will be very basic and the company wants to learn from them and adapt them as quickly as possible, but they will take you where you want to go at the push of a button.
"And that's an important step toward improving road safety and transforming mobility for millions of people," Urmson added.
"We're planning to build about a hundred prototype vehicles, and later this summer, our safety drivers will start testing early versions of these vehicles that have manual controls.
"If all goes well, we'd like to run a small pilot program here in California in the next couple of years."
The new self-driving vehicle is equipped with sensors, which remove blind spots and are capable of detecting objects in range of over two football fields distance in all directions.
Other features of the car include two seats with seatbelts, a space for passengers' belongings, buttons to start and stop, and a screen that shows the route.
According to reports, Google is planning to build a fleet of 100 electric-powered self-driving cars with all the standard controls and use them for testing the technology.
Image: A very early version of Google's prototype vehicle. Photo: Courtesy of Google.
