14 DAY TRIAL // After announcing it in May, Google made the move to switch from its Lexus fleet of driverless cars to a new custom-built prototype codenamed "Koala."
This new prototype was in testing for over a year, but was always limited to the company's test track.
Since yesterday, the cars have been spotted on the streets surrounding Mountain View, replacing Google's previous self-driving model, a modified Lexus SUV.
The new self-driving car prototype is 100% built at Google, is a two-seater, and is designed to work without pedals and a steering wheel.
For safety purposes, pedals and a wheel are provided, along with a human driver at the helm of the car at all times during public road tests.
Koala cars are also limited to speeds of up to 25m/h (40 km/h), and only allowed to drive around Mountain View for now.
Google's new car is actually smiling at you, if you look close enough
Google is actively trying to make these cars look more friendly, mainly through their small and compact design, a car front that looks like a smiling face, and a community project which invited local artists to showcase their art on the car's side doors.
The company is still well aware of the fears of not having a driver at the control of the car, and is in as harsh battle with the public's opinion as it's with the self-driving technology itself.
At the start of June Google also released the project's first ever status report, which helped it swat away some fears about the reliability of its software, detailing a total number of 12 accidents in which self-driving cars were involved, but none of the fault of its AI.
The same report also revealed that Google has only 42 self-driving cars in its fleet, but only 9 of the newer Koala prototypes.
