[ad_1]
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) now has 69 self-driving test cars and 92 drivers in California, far more than Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ: TSLA).
What happened: Apple has added an additional self-driving car and 16 additional drivers since May, according to a macReports report that cites figures from the California Department of Motor Vehicles.
Apple has the third largest fleet of autonomous test cars in California behind Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) (NASDAQ: GOOGL) Waymo autonomous driving unit and General Motors Co. Cruise supported by (NYSE: GM).
However, the number of drivers is still down significantly from October last year, when Apple had 154 driver’s licenses, the report added.
By comparison, Tesla had 22 self-driving cars and 86 drivers in California at the end of July.
See Also: Why Gene Munster Says Apple And Tesla Are His Top 2 Stocks Right Now
The report also notes that Apple has yet to apply for a driverless license for its autonomous vehicles.
Why is this important: Data collected from Apple’s autonomous vehicle fleet could help tech giant’s Apple Car project.
The project had been in incubation for some time, but rumors that Apple is ramping up its efforts on the project have been circulating since last year.
See also: How to buy Apple stocks
Several potential partners have been reported, but Apple has remained tight-lipped about its foray into the crowded electric vehicle realm. Over time, rumors have also suggested that Apple has scaled back its plan to build a full-fledged car and is now considering developing an underlying self-driving car system.
It was reported in July that Apple was looking to manufacture batteries for the Apple car in the United States.
Price action: Apple shares closed up nearly 1.3% when trading Tuesday at $ 147.36.
Read more: Ark sells Tesla for $ 43.7 million as Cathie Wood compares Elon Musk to Apple
© 2021 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
[ad_2]
Source link