Nevada Issues First Autonomous Vehicle Test License to Google

The Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles has approved an application for a license by Google Inc. to test autonomous vehicles on Nevada public roads, DMV announced this week.

It is the first license issued in the United States, and by granting Google’s application is puts “Nevada at the forefront of autonomous vehicle development,” DMV said.

After drive test demonstrations along freeways, highways and neighborhoods in Carson City on the Las Vegas Strip, DMV’s Autonomous Review Committee reviewed Google’s safety plans, employee training, system functions and accident reporting mechanisms and approved the application.

DMV is now creating the state’s first autonomous testing business license and license plates for the Mountain View, Calif.-based search giant. The license plates displayed on the test vehicle will have a red background and feature an infinity symbol on the left side.

“I felt using the infinity symbol was the best way to represent the ‘car of the future,” DMV Director Bruce Breslow said in a statement. “The unique red plate will be easily recognized by the public and law enforcement and will be used only for licensed autonomous test vehicles. When there comes a time that vehicle manufactures market autonomous vehicles to the public, that infinity symbol will appear on a green license plate.”