Three groups recently announced that they would be deploying self-driving cars on the streets of Ontario in Canada. This is the first time that firms working on autonomous cars are going to be testing prototypes in Ontario.
In January, Ontario announced that it is accepting proposals from car manufacturers and tech companies to deploy self-driving cars around the city. However, due to the Ontario's proximity to Michigan, no company picked up the offer.
Three cars will be rolled out onto the streets of Ontario. The cars were from the University of Waterloo, automaker Erwin Hymer Group, and tech firm Blackberry QNX, according to Financial Post.
According to Engadget, the University of Waterloo will use a Lincoln MKZ hybrid sedan nicknamed Autonomoose. Automaker Erwin Hymer Group will use a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Van, and Blackberry will use a 2017 Lincoln.
The project will test each vehicle at various stages of autonomous driving. Tests will be conducted in various weather conditions and road quality.
Ontario is home to a majority of Canada's auto industry. The province has been struggling recently as investments in autonomous cars started to shift into less expensive areas, like Michigan for instance. Tech companies like Google, which have been testing self-driving cars since 2009, were not attracted by Ontario's call for applicants since it would mean more operation costs for them if they try to test their prototypes outside of their home country.
The province of Ontario did not confirm when these autonomous test cars will hit the road. The Ontario Ministry of Transportation said that they are leaving that decision to the three applicants regarding when they want to commence their respective tests.
Ontario's regulatory protocol states that a licensed driver is required to be inside the test cars all the time. On the other hand, there is no restriction on where these tests cars are allowed to go.