New US administration, new hands-off approach to AVs?

As it stands, life is good for companies exploring autonomous drive technology in the US, with the current administration taking steps to lower hurdles that had previously limited where and how self-driving cars are tested on public roads.

Autonomous driving research has been thriving in the US for the better part of a decade now, and the market has become an established test bed for various pilot programmes. The automotive industry has been pushing for greater autonomy in allowing self-driving vehicles to be tested on public roads here, and states such as California and Nevada have been instrumental in allowing such practices. In California alone, 50 licenses have been granted to individual companies – including OEMs, suppliers and start-ups – as of January 2018.