Apple has received a permit from the Californian DMV, allowing it to test three autonomous Lexus SUVs. But a fleet of this size somewhat suggests that Apple is using the permit to trial software, rather than aiming for a major self-driving vehicle initiative based on hardware designs – to the relief of the established automakers. The move could potentially mark the company’s exit from the hardware game in autonomous cars, just as Google appears to be doing, having recently spun off its Waymo self-driving car project to focus solely on LiDAR sensors and software. However, with Apple being Apple, and its self-driving technologies being one of the industry’s most well-kept secrets, we wouldn’t be surprised to see the company take…