Google has quietly begun operating its self-driving car project under a new subsidiary called Google Auto LLC, according to information from The Guardian.
The subsidiary was created in 2011 when Google replaced self-driving Priuses with Lexus SUVs. In the documents published by the Guardian, Google Auto is listed as the official manufacturer of 23 self-driving Lexus cars, including those involved in the publicity recently with accidents. The name of the company Google Auto LLC was used to apply for a VIN.
By creating an autonomous company for the project of self-propelled vehicles, Google was probably aiming to protect itself from the risk. If actions already filed during recent accidents are judged, Google Auto will assume responsibility instead of Google, and Google's financial assets will continue to be safe, according to The Guardian.
Meanwhile Google's newest cars feature: rear-wheel drive and power from one electric 20-30kW engine, according to paperwork the company filed with NHTSA.
Google has begun to test self-propelled vehicles on public roads in June, but this does not mean that cars will soon be commercially available. It still takes hundreds of thousands of test miles as cars are still in the experimental stage.
