Google’s Self-Driving Lexus RX450h Gets Weird in Texas

By adpock - July 7, 2015

google self driving lexus RX450h

Austin is known for its weirdness, but thanks to Google’s self-driving Lexus RX450h, it’s now just a little bit weirder.

In its first usage outside Google’s home turf in Mountain View, California, Google’s self-driving technology has launched on the streets of Austin, Texas. Austin’s many traffic variables will give the automated car a unique set of traffic conditions, to help further hone the game-changing technology.

“It’s important for us to get experience testing our software in different driving environments, traffic patterns and road conditions—so we’re ready to take on Austin’s pedicabs, pickup trucks, and everything in between. Keep it weird for us, Austin,” the company posted on their Google+ page.

Instead of the pod-like automated driver that Google hopes to make the face of the project, Texas will get the modified, street legal RX450h. Lucky Texans.

As far as I can see, there’s two big takeaways from today’s news. First of all, the automated RX has to be supervised by two real human “safety drivers,” who may just have the easiest job in the world. Unless of course they don’t like each other. Or if they don’t like the robot driving the car. Or if the robot decides to go SkyNet on them. Otherwise, sitting around, getting chauffeured all day sounds like a great gig.

Secondly, don’t you think it would have been nice to tell the good folks of Austin that there were driverless cars on the road? Google just made the announcement yesterday, but the cars have been rolling lonely since last month. Can you imagine coming to a stop light, looking over, and realizing that no one is actually driving the car next to you? That would be weird.