Apple’s Lexus RX450h car was out on a test ride and was moving at a speed of 1 mph while the other car was being driven at a speed of 15 mph.
One of Apple’s self-driving vehicles was involved in an accident during the test drive in US’ California, and sustained moderate damage in the crash, the media reported.
Apple’s autonomous car got into its very first crash one week ago in Sunnyvale, according to a report filed by Apple with the California Department of Motor Vehicles this week, The Verge reported on Friday.
However, it does not appear that Apple was at fault for the collision as the software was intact.
Apple is currently testing number of Lexus SUVs in California.
According to the accident details, the vehicle in question was in autonomous mode at the time.
The Apple car carrying special equipment and sensors was hit by a Nissan car from behind.
Both cars sustained damage but neither car’s passengers received any injuries, the report said.
Apple has a fleet of nearly 45 test self-driving vehicles in California.
The company has also partnered with Volkswagen to help create a fleet of self-driving employee shuttles for its Cupertino campus.
The self-driving cars, touted as the best bet for safe future travel, however, have been involved in some fatal accidents. On March 18, an Arizona woman was killed by an Uber self-driving car.
Five days later, the occupant of a Tesla Model X died after the vehicle hit a highway barrier in California and caught fire.
In 2016, the occupant of a Tesla running on its autopilot system in Florida was killed in a collision with a truck the Tesla car failed to spot.
In a report to the California Department of Motor Vehicles, Apple disclosed that a crash had occurred on August 24 as its vehicle was preparing to merge onto the Lawrence Expressway in the Bay Area.
The crash is the first reported incident involving an Apple vehicle since Apple began testing last April, starting with three sensor-laden Lexus RX450hs, which expanded to 27 in January, 45 by March, and reportedly increased again to 55 in May.
According to California DMV figures, Apple’s crash was the 95th autonomous vehicle collision report it’s received in 2018. In 2017 it received 30 incident reports.
According to Apple, its test vehicle was moving at less than one mile per hour in autonomous mode and was waiting for a safe opening to merge on to the highway when it was struck from the rear by a Nissan Leaf that was traveling at 15mph.
Apple reported no injuries, but both vehicles were damaged.
Apple resolves to make their vehicles public by the year 2023, as clearly the model cars are not fully ready to be acquainted with streets with human drivers.
