Race to Autonomy: U.S. Pushes Self-Driving Vehicle Deployment

The U.S. aims to fast-track self-driving vehicle deployment while maintaining safety incident reporting. The Transportation Secretary introduced a framework to outpace Chinese innovation. The NHTSA will extend its exemption program to domestically produced self-driving vehicles. GM and Waymo's developments highlight the evolving landscape of autonomous vehicles.

The Trump administration is accelerating the deployment of self-driving vehicles while maintaining crucial safety incident reporting requirements. U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy unveiled a new strategy on Thursday to enhance autonomous vehicle efforts, focusing on cutting red tape to stay ahead of China's competitive innovations.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced an extension of its Automated Vehicle Exemption Program. This expansion allows domestically manufactured self-driving vehicles to operate in the U.S., a development previously limited to foreign-assembled models. The streamlined approach aims to balance safety with technological advancement.

Automakers like General Motors (GM) have been eager to deploy self-driving vehicles without human controls. Although GM recently withdrew a petition related to such deployments, the company has invested significantly in the sector. Meanwhile, Waymo is expanding its service, with an eye on launching in the U.S. capital next year, signaling ongoing innovation in autonomous vehicles.

(With inputs from agencies.)