Tech giant Apple has won a permit to test driverless cars in California, and has revealed it is investing in automated vehicle research.

“Apple uses machine learning to make its products and services smarter, more intuitive and more personal,” Director of Product Integrity Steve Kenner says in a letter to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

“The company is investing heavily in the study of machine learning and automation, and is excited about the potential of automated systems in many areas, including transportation.”

Industry analysts have long speculated that Apple is investing in self-driving car technology.

It is one of many groups issued autonomous vehicle testing permits in California as of April 14, according to the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles.

Others include Volkswagen, Google, Bosch, BMW, China-based IT company Baidu, and Ford.

The NHTSA says the motor industry is “on the cusp of a technological transformation” that could improve safety on US roads, where 94% of crashes are due to human error.

“The development of advanced automated vehicle safety technologies, including fully self-driving cars, may prove to be the greatest personal transportation revolution since the popularisation of the personal automobile nearly a century ago,” it says.