AUSTIN: US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on Wednesday said federal policy on autonomous vehicles will undergo "meaningful" developments in the coming years, saying policy frameworks had not fully caught up with technological developments.
Speaking at the South by Southwest music, technology and film festival (SXSW), Buttigieg said regulation had to set boundaries for self-driving without stifling innovation in an industry that "is still largely in its infancy."
"It's okay to allow that experimentation to flourish up until and unless we start seeing a real escalation of some of the safety concerns," Buttigieg said, adding that limitations on the amount of vehicles each company tests could function as "speed breaks."
"I think we're going to see very meaningful developments here in the 2020s," Buttigieg said.
Congressional efforts to regulate self-driving cars have been stalled for several years, but US regulators last week eliminated the need for manufacturers to equip fully autonomous vehicles with driving controls like steering wheels and brake pedals. read more
Tesla Inc has released pilot software for what it calls its "Full Self-Driving" system to tens of thousands of Tesla owners for use on public roads across the United States. read more
The system has faced scrutiny from US regulators over deadly crashes and traffic law violations. read more
Other automakers are more cautious amid the nebulous regulatory terrain.
Mercedes-Benz AG chief technology officer Markus Schaefer said on Tuesday the carmaker "absolutely" wants a regulatory framework to protect the company before it releases its hands-free, semi-autonomous driving system in the United States to compete with Tesla's Autopilot.
Buttigieg on Wednesday also said he wanted to improve the US public transit system and encourage Americans to buy electric vehicles through government tax incentives to reduce emissions.
National US transit use remains some 40% below pre-pandemic levels, according to data from mobility app Transit.
White House efforts to increase current US$7,500 EV tax credits to up to US$12,500 for union-made US vehicles remain stalled in Congress.
