New Rules of the Road for California and Autonomous Vehicles

Today marks an exciting moment for the future of local commerce in California. The Department of Motor Vehicles has implemented regulations allowing self-driving vehicles designed and operated for goods delivery to operate under the same robust permitting requirements applicable to other types of autonomous vehicles. We applaud the DMV for completing this regulatory update and unlocking a valuable new service that promises to reduce the number of shopping errands made by Californians every year for groceries, hot food, and other local products.

This change creates certainty for companies like Nuro to advance our AV technology by mapping, testing, and deploying our delivery service right here in our home state of California. It will allow us to build closer and deeper relationships with our retail partners, and will develop our connection with the communities we serve. The revised regulation will, for the first time, enable autonomous vehicles designed solely to carry goods and not passengers to operate in California. By removing passengers from the vehicle entirely, we can reduce the number of people on the road, offering greater protection from potential collisions or incidents.

Since we first launched our self-driving delivery service in 2018, our goal has always been to expand the size and accessibility of our fleet in order to accelerate the benefits of robotics for everyday life. The learnings we’ll gain from testing and eventually deploying our commercial service in California will allow us to advance our mission. We look forward to bringing our custom unmanned vehicles and delivery services to the communities we call home.

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