U.S. Autonomous Driving Regulations Relaxed: Tesla, Google Waymo, and Amazon Zoox Compete in the Commercialization Race
The U.S. Department of Transportation has released a new version of the "Automated Driving Vehicle Framework," aimed at reducing red tape and accelerating the commercial deployment of autonomous vehicles. The new regulations allow certain autonomous vehicles that do not meet federal safety standards to operate on U.S. roads and simplify the collision reporting process. Google Waymo plans to launch a fully autonomous ride-hailing service in Washington next year, Tesla will start a robotaxi pilot in Austin, and Amazon Zoox has become a competitor to Tesla
According to the Zhitong Finance APP, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced the updated "Automated Vehicle Framework" from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on Thursday, aimed at reducing red tape and accelerating the deployment of commercial autonomous vehicles.
Duffy stated, "This administration is well aware that we are in an innovation race with China, and this competition is crucial."
The revised regulations will allow certain autonomous vehicles that do not meet federal safety standards (such as rearview mirror configuration requirements) to operate on U.S. roads. The department also indicated that it will simplify the collision reporting process involving autonomous driving software. However, NHTSA emphasized that it will continue to maintain general orders for collision reporting for vehicles equipped with specific advanced driver assistance systems and autonomous driving systems.
Additionally, NHTSA will expand the scope of the "Automated Vehicle Exemption Program" to include domestically produced vehicles for the first time. Previously, this program only allowed companies to operate non-compliant imported autonomous vehicles in the U.S.
Waymo, a subsidiary of Google's parent company Alphabet, plans to launch a fully autonomous ride-hailing service in Washington, D.C. next year, while Tesla intends to start a robotaxi pilot in Austin before June. Amazon's Zoox will become another competitor to Tesla in the U.S. autonomous driving market
