Google is reportedly looking to produce its own self-driving car.

According to a report from former Wall Street Journal reporter Amir Efrati, Google has talked with "contract manufacturers" to build a self-driving car for the search giant. Citing people familiar with the matter, Lessin said Google failed to reach a deal with a major auto maker, so it is now pursuing its own vehicle.

Those manufacturers include Continental AG and Magna International. A Google spokeswoman said the company does not comment on rumor or speculation.

Back in Sept. 2012, California Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law a bill that established safety and performance standards for self-driving cars in the state. At the bill signing, Google co-founder Sergey Brin said Google has "had great conversations with a variety of auto makers," but said the company did not currently have any plans to make its own vehicles. Google tests its autonomous vehicle technology on the Toyota Prius.

According to Lessin, Google might use its cars as "robo taxis" for a service that sounds like a driver-less Uber. She also suggested that Google might be building its own car simply to make auto makers nervous and secure deals.

Google has had limited success selling its own hardware, particularly when it went up against the carriers. The company failed with the Nexus One Web store, shutting down the effort in 2010. But it has had more success with the Nexus 7 and the Chromecast, which are also available from a number of major retailers like Amazon and Best Buy.

Like Project Loon and Google Glass, though, self-driving cars are just one of Google's future tech projects, and a pet project for Brin. "I think the self-driving car can really dramatically improve the quality of life for everyone here in California, the country, and the world," he said last year.

In May, U.S. transportation officials released early guidelines for the development of self-driving cars, including recommendations for lawmakers who are writing laws governing the technology. Though Audi and Toyota showed off some autonomous vehicle tech at this year's CES, the technology is still in its infancy and solid rules for how it should be handled are still a few years out, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

For more, check out Will Google Make Money Off the Self-Driving Car?