California Allows Testing of Autonomous Trucks

The U.S. state of California is undoubtedly the region with the most activity in the field of autonomous driving, but one restriction had previously kept an important category of vehicles out: commercial vehicles weighing more than 10,000 pounds (4,500 kilograms). That has now changed, as heavier vehicles can now apply for testing and operating permits. The press release states the following:

New autonomous vehicle (AV) regulations were approved today covering both light-duty and heavy-duty vehicles. The regulations comprehensively update the department’s AV rules, enhancing safety requirements, oversight and enforcement, while opening the California market for testing and deployment of larger AVs in freight and transit.

The approval criteria are based on those already in use for lighter vehicles and include, among other things:

• Permitting Criteria: Requires manufacturers to begin with testing using a safety driver and progress to driverless testing before applying for commercial deployment. Manufacturers must complete 50,000 miles (light-duty) or 500,000 miles (heavy-duty) of testing at each phase and prepare a structured safety case demonstrating the safety of vehicle hardware, software and operations.
• AV Moving Violations: Establishes a process for law enforcement to issue a Notice of AV Noncompliance to manufacturers when an AV commits a moving violation, enhancing visibility and accountability for AV traffic law compliance.
• First Responder Interaction: Requires annual updates to first responder interaction plans, access to manual vehicle override systems, two-way communication links with 30-second response times and updated training requirements to ensure safe and timely interactions with first responders.
• Emergency Response: Authorizes local emergency response officials to issue emergency geofencing directives to AV manufacturers and requires AV manufacturers to direct their fleets to leave the identified areas within two minutes of receiving such messages, to limit conflicts with AVs during active emergency situations.
• Remote Operations: Establishes standards for remote operations personnel, including licensing qualifications and permitting and training requirements for remote drivers and assistants.
• Data Reporting: Modernizes AV data reporting requirements, focusing on new safety metrics including system failures, vehicle immobilizations and hard braking events. Expands collision reporting and requires data on vehicle miles traveled.
• Enforcement Tools: Authorizes the DMV to impose targeted operational restrictions on AV manufacturers — including fleet size, location, speed and weather limits — when necessary for public safety.
• Testing and Deployment of Heavy-Duty AutonomousVehicles: Removes the prohibition on operating AVs with a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) of 10,001 pounds or more, opening the California market to AV freight operations. Heavy-duty AVs must still stop at CHP weigh stations and comply with all applicable state and federal commercial motor vehicle requirements.
• Medium-Duty AV Passenger Vehicles: Allows AV transit vehicles up to 14,001 pounds GVWR to be operated by public entities or universities, providing a new pathway for transit service innovation.

While a number of companies—including Kodiak Robotics, ThorDrive, Gatik, Aurora, Embark, and PlusAI—have their headquarters in the San Francisco Bay Area, testing has been conducted in other states, most notably in Texas.

This article was also published in German.