China's drive-sharing company Didi Chuxing Technology Co. was approved by California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to test its self-driving vehicles.
A newest list posted on DMV's website showed 53 pieces of Autonomous Vehicle Testing Permits (with a driver) had been permitted as of last Thursday, Xinhua reported on Monday.
Didi was the latest one joining the group, which includes both technology and automotive companies.
Apple Now Has 55 Self-Driving Cars in California, Behind Only GM Cruise
Didi Senior Communications Director Liang Sun was quoted by The Wall Street Journal Monday as saying that the company had been testing autonomous vehicles in closed internal environment for a while and it is finalising its plans to begin US road trials which will be made in a "prudent and safety-first" manner.
Didi last year opened its main research facility in Mountain View of California, 860 kilometres north of Los Angeles, to focus on developing artificial intelligence, including autonomous driving.
The approval from the California state regulator is Didi's first licence for testing on public roads in the US.
Besides Didi, many Chinese companies including Baidu, Faraday & Future, Changan Automobile, have started its test in the state.
For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.