The industry is under scrutiny following an incident in October 2023, where a pedestrian was injured by a General Motors Cruise vehicle, prompting NHTSA investigations into self-driving vehicles from companies like Cruise, Waymo, and Zoox. In November, Cruise admitted to submitting a false report and paid a $500,000 fine. In December, the USDOT proposed streamlining the review process for deploying self-driving vehicles without human controls. Despite efforts, legislative progress in Congress has stalled. Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced plans to launch “autonomous ride-hailing for money” in Texas by June. The letter represents ongoing pressure on regulators to advance autonomous vehicle policies, with previous calls for action made under then-President Joe Biden.
Key takeaways:
- Major automakers and tech groups are urging the Trump administration to expedite the deployment of self-driving cars by addressing regulatory hurdles.
- The Alliance For Automotive Innovation and other groups have called for a national performance-based framework and for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to be the sole regulator of self-driving vehicle hardware, software, and operation.
- There is concern that without federal action, the U.S. may lose its leadership in the autonomous vehicle sector to China, due to inconsistent rules and safety risks.
- Recent incidents and investigations involving self-driving vehicles, such as the one involving a General Motors Cruise vehicle, have increased scrutiny on the industry.