We’ve known about Google’s autonomous vehicle ambitions for a while, but we’re only just now learning that the company actually owns an automotive subsidiary. Known as Google Auto, the Guardian has reported that Google has been quietly operating this automotive subsidiary for a few years now and that it’s the official manufacturer for each of the self-driving Lexus vehicles that Google has registered with the California DMV. 

Google has set up its own car company. The tech giant has flirted with major car firms as it explores driverless cars but has also quietly set up its own auto company, according to documents obtained by the Guardian. Google Auto LLC is headed by Chris Urmson, project lead for Google’s self-driving cars. Urmson has been on a charm offensive with the world’s biggest automobile manufacturers. At the North American International Auto Show in January, Urmson announced talks with General Motors, Ford, Toyota, Daimler and Volkswagen. In March, he told USA Today: “Making cars is really hard, and the car companies are quite good at it. So, in my mind, the solution is to find a partnership.” To date, no such partnership has emerged. That might be because Google already has its very own car maker in Google Auto. The company is registered with national and international organisations as a passenger vehicle manufacturer, and was licensed last year as a car maker in California. Google declined to comment on this story.