Apple Car news: iPhone maker tests self-driving tech on Lexus SUVs [VIDEO]

An Apple logo hangs above the entrance to the Apple store on 5th Avenue in the Manhattan borough of New York City, July 21, 2015. Reuters/Mike Segar

Apple has been reportedly testing its self-driving car software over the last few weeks. Now, a new video has surfaced showing one of Apple’s most recent tests. The technology should provide the company several business opportunities with car makers once it’s fully developed.

Apple has been trying out its autonomous driving technology on a trio of Lexus RX450h SUVs around the San Francisco Bay Area. The tests have been well-documented and images of the three vehicles have been all over the net for the last couple of weeks. But now, a video of one of Apple’s latest tests has surfaced (see video below).

The Lexus SUV is reportedly armed with several cameras and sensors, providing easy viewing while on the go. It likewise equips a premium Velodyne 64-channel lidar alongside multiple cameras and at least a couple of radars for navigation purposes. The vehicle was on the 101 North when it was captured on video, on its way to University Avenue in Palo Alto.

In mid-April, the Mac maker was allowed by the DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles) to test self-driving cars, and it didn’t take long for Apple to hit the road. The company allows half a dozen of its autonomous car specialists to take over the SUVs’ wheels. Apple hopes that its software will be fully developed very soon for commercial application.

The tech giant has been trying to perfect its car tech for many years now. Word has it that Apple initially intended to produce its very own brand of cars, but it has yet to materialise. This has reportedly led the company to shift gears and focus on self-driving car programme instead, with former senior vice president of technologies Bob Mansfield leading the way.

According to previous reports, Apple bigwigs have set a year-end deadline for its team of developers, who must attest to the programme’s likelihood of success. It’s quite understandable since a technology like that provides the iPhone maker multiple business opportunities with big-time car manufacturers, whether for CarPlay enhancement or actual Apple Car developments in the future.

In early April, it was reported that Apple isn’t giving up on its car venture and that it has been working on the project in low-key fashion at a Swiss research facility. Making things interesting is the Mac maker’s supposed hiring of specialised tech analysts. The company reportedly enlisted the services of no less than ten ETH Zurich University doctoral and postdoctoral students, who left the institution to work for the tech titan.