There are now 39 companies testing self-driving cars on Californian roads

September 01, 2017

There are now 39 companies testing self-driving cars on Californian roads

san francisco traffic

There are now dozens of companies that can legally test self-driving cars in California, which is quickly evolving into a mecca for the new transportation technology.

Samsung became the latest firm to get permission from California's Department of Motor Vehicles (DOV) on Thursday as it looks to keep up with rivals like Google and Apple.

The DOV added Samsung to an online list of companies that can legally test self-driving cars on public roads across The Golden State. As a result, Samsung will be able to test a Toyota Prius and two Audi A3s, according to a DOV spokesperson cited by The Financial Times.

Samsung made its ambitions in the autonomous car market clear in March this year when it acquired automotive supplier Harman International for $8 billion (£6 billion).

The South Korean tech giant was given permission to test self-driving cars in its home country in May.

Samsung did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.

There are now almost 40 companies with permits to test self-driving cars in California. Others include BMW, Honda, Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, Tesla, Waymo (owned by Google parent company Alphabet), and Drive.ai.

Here is the full list: