This is Google’s new self-driving-car.

After years of testing in a Lexus SUV, Google has begun building 100 of these smaller, slower, 2 seat vehicles.

All driving controls have been removed, and the car only features a start/stop button, and a separate red “e-stop” button for emergencies. It’s top speed is only 25 miles per hour, and the front of the car is made from foamlike material, reducing risks should a pedestrian get hit.

The change has come from the realisation that a human can not be trusted to quickly take over a self-driving car in an emergency, as they are likely to be distracted by a phone or maybe resting behind the wheel.

In an interview at Google’s headquarters here, Sergey Brin, a Google co-founder who is actively involved in the research program, said the company decided to change the car project more than a year ago after an experiment in which Google employees used autonomous vehicles for their normal commutes to work.

“We saw stuff that made us a little nervous,” said Christopher Urmson, a former Carnegie Mellon University roboticist who directs the car project at Google.