UPDATE: Self-driving car operator denies near collision with Google self-driving car

By Fusion Staff  |  July 6, 2015 | 8:19pm
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UPDATE:  A Delphi Automotive representative has retracted an earlier claim made by one of its executive to Reuters that one of its self-driving cars nearly collided with a Google self-driving car in Palo Alto.

“The vehicles didn’t even come close to each other,” another Delphi official now tells Reuters.

A Google rep also emailed Fusion to say that, “This was an everyday driving scenario that both cars handled as they should have.”

Delphi’s Jason Absmeier had earlier claimed that as its automated Audi tried to change lanes in downtown Palo Alto, Google’s Lexus RX400h crossover prototype seemed liked it was about to cut them off, forcing Delphi’s to “abort.”

Delphi’s car “took appropriate action,” Absmeier said.

This week, Google began testing its new two-door, pod-like self-driving models on local roads. Unlike their Lexuses, these ones don’t even have a steering wheel or a brake. Here’s what it looks like:

Rob covers business, economics and the environment for Fusion. He previously worked at Business Insider. He grew up in Chicago.

 
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