Just before the finish line for 2017, two additional companies have received a permit from Californian DMV for testing self-driving cars on all public roads in the sunny state. SF Motors and Toyota Research Institute are completing the first 50 entities with such a license.

SF Motors, headquartered in Santa Clara in California, is a manufacturer of electric vehicles and components. The company was founded 2016 and is a subsidiary of Chinese Chongqing Sokon Industry Group. Chief Scientist is Martin Eberhard, best known as the founder of Tesla. The company is currently employing 150 people.

Toyota Research Institute started with an initial focus on AI and robotics. The company was founded in 2016 and is based in Los Altos, California.

This article has also been published in German.