Automaker gets first permit in the Golden State

On Tuesday, Audi got the first permit issued by California to test self-driving cars.

New state laws took effect today allowing automakers to do such testing on California roadways.

Scott Keogh, President, Audi of America said, "Audi is a driving force behind the research taking automated driving from science fiction to pre-production readiness."

California isn't the first state where Audi has" tested it's autonomous vehicles. According to the press release, Nevada and Florida have joined forces with the automaker to test the cars.

The German automaker isn't alone when it comes to testing self-driving vehicles, Nissan, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota, Ford and GM.

Many expect to have such vehicles on the road by 2020.