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One big sign the Apple self-driving car is closer than we thought

Tim Cooke
REUTERS/Robert Galbraith

Apple may finally be ready to talk about its self-driving car project.

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The tech giant met with officials from California's Department of Motor Vehicles last month to discuss the state's regulations for autonomous vehicles, the department tells Tech Insider.

"DMV often meets with various companies regarding DMV operations. The Apple meeting was to review DMV's autonomous vehicle regulations," a department representative told Tech Insider in a statement.

According to a report from The Guardian, which first reported the news Friday, Apple legal counsel Mike Maletic had an hour-long meeting with Bernard Soriano, the DMV's deputy director; Stephanie Dougherty, the department's chief of enterprise planning and performance; and Brian Soublet, the DMV's deputy director and chief legal counsel.

Why is this significant? Because to test autonomous vehicles on public roads in California, Apple must obtain a permit from the DMV, which means it will have to begin revealing a lot more information about its plans in the self-driving car space.

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Apple's secret car project, dubbed "Project Titan," has been in the works for awhile, but the company has managed to keep any development primarily under wraps except for a few reports about it looking to test its tech.

Last month, documents obtained by The Guardian revealed the company had inquired about using a former military facility known for autonomous testing in May. Despite the report, the company has kept tight-lipped.

On Tuesday, Apple CEO Tim Cook was flat-out asked about the company's plans for autonomous vehicles during a guest appearance on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," but Cook kept mum.

"We look at a number of things along the way, and we decide to really put our energies in a few of them," Cook said regarding the matter.

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While Apple may be putting some energy into the technology, the company has not yet begun testing on public streets.

There are currently 10 companies — including Google, Tesla, and BMW — in California that have been issued Autonomous Vehicle Testing Permits, according to the DMV's website, which updates the page as more manufacturers gain approval.

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Google

The last company to be approved to test the tech was Honda. Apple is not currently one of the companies listed as having a permit.

But the fact that the company is meeting with the DMV may mean its technology is far enough along that it's ready to go public with its self-driving car plans.

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If Apple acquires a permit, it will be required to disclose a good amount of information about its cars.

To acquire a testing permit for public streets, the DMV requires companies to have well-trained test drivers with a clean driving record in the vehicle at all times.

The department also requires the make, model, and other information be shared to acquire a permit. Apple will also have to report any accident or automation malfunction to the department within 10 days of the incident.

California is one of a handful of jurisdictions that have enacted laws to test automated vehicles. Florida, Michigan, Virginia, the District of Columbia, and Nevada have all also created a framework that specifically addresses the testing of autonomous cars.

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Apple declined to comment for this story.

On February 28, Axel Springer, Business Insider's parent company, joined 31 other media groups and filed a $2.3 billion suit against Google in Dutch court, alleging losses suffered due to the company's advertising practices.

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