Self-Governing and Autonomous Vehicle Updates: Uber, Wayve, California Department of Motor Vehicles, California Legislative Bills, and Mitsubishi Electric
The California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) has proposed updates to the existing rules for the testing and deployment of light-duty AVs on California's public roads. This move comes as part of a broader effort to regulate the rapidly evolving autonomous vehicle (AV) industry.
The proposed changes are outlined in the California Automotive Regulatory Standards (CARS) Package, which includes AB 2286 and AB 3061. These bills have garnered significant support from the Teamsters Union and have passed the California Assembly.
AB 2286, in particular, requires a trained human operator behind the wheel of self-driving trucks weighing more than 10,000 pounds, a measure designed to preserve union jobs. On the other hand, AB 3061 mandates AV companies in California to publicly report any vehicle collisions, traffic violations, disengagements, assaults, or harassment to the DMV.
Meanwhile, in the private sector, Uber has partnered with Wayve, a leader in Embodied AI for self-driving, for strategic investment and collaboration. Wayve's focus is on mapless end-to-end AI technology, allowing autonomous vehicles to operate without geofenced limits. The partnership envisions Wayve-powered self-driving vehicles being made available on the Uber network in multiple markets worldwide.
Mitsubishi Electric, although not explicitly mentioned in the given text with regards to California operations, has introduced the HubPilot autonomous distribution yard logistics platform as a service. This platform, designed for geofenced distribution centers and logistics hubs, employs optimized multi-sensor inputs on autonomous yard dogs. The HubPilot platform interfaces with the yard management system (YMS) to receive commands, operating at SAE Level 4 autonomy. Notably, the platform automates the connection of compressed air hoses to the trailer, eliminating the need for manual intervention.
The HubPilot platform utilizes infrastructure-based perception, on-vehicle sensing, and high-definition mapping for precise localization. However, as of now, there are no publicly available announcements or records indicating that Uber has made a specific announcement regarding autonomous vehicles from Mitsubishi Electric operating in California.
As the draft regulations undergo further review, the DMV invites interested parties to offer input on the proposed changes, including manufacturers, experts, consumer groups, local governments, first responders, potential end-users, and academic/research institutions. The bills are currently awaiting Governor Gavin Newsom's signature.
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