Google starts production of vehicles without steering wheel in 2015

The U.S. company Google will build a car without a steering wheel as It doesn't need one because it drives itself, the company said in a release.

The two-seater won't be sold publicly, but Google said Tuesday it hopes by this time next year, 100 prototypes will be on public roads. Though not driving very quickly - the top speed would be 40 kmh, AP news agency reports.

The cars are a natural next step for Google, which already has driven hundreds of thousands of miles in California with Lexus SUVs and Toyota Priuses outfitted with a combination of sensors and computers. Those cars have Google-employed "safety drivers" behind the wheel in case of emergency. The new cars would eliminate the driver from the task of driving.

Instead of steering wheel, brake and gas pedals, this car will feature buttons for go and stop. The electric-powered car is compact and bubble-shaped - something that might move people around a corporate campus or congested downtown.

The biggest obstacle could be the law. Test versions will have a wheel and pedals, because they must comply with California regulations.