Google’s first custom self-driving car prototype, introduced in 2014, was called Firefly.
Firefly was a small, purpose-built electric vehicle developed by Google’s self-driving car project. Unlike Google’s earlier test cars, which were modified Toyota Priuses and Lexus SUVs, Firefly was designed from the beginning for autonomous driving. It had no steering wheel, accelerator pedal, or brake pedal, reflecting Google’s vision of a car that could handle driving itself.
Google unveiled the Firefly prototype in December 2014 and planned to test it on roads in the San Francisco Bay Area in early 2015. Its operating speed was intentionally limited, allowing engineers to study how passengers and other road users interacted with the unusual vehicle.
A common mix-up is confusing Firefly with Waymo, Prius, or Chauffeur. Waymo is the company that grew out of Google’s project, Prius refers to an earlier test platform, and Project Chauffeur was the internal name associated with the broader self-driving effort. Firefly was the custom prototype’s name.