General Motors has been negotiating with the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA) since 2018 for the right to admit self-driving cars without steering controls like the wheel or the pedals to public roads – and it looks like the plea has been heard.
Originally, NHTSA had thought about issuing the permission to such fully autonomous cars in 2019, but the process took longer than expected. If successful, it will mark the world’s first decision of this kind.
According to various media sources, the association will be issuing permission as soon as next year. That said, the decision might take longer than that. The U.S. Department of Transportation in particular urged NHTSA to avoid rushing the decision.
In early 2018, General Motors unveiled the Cruise AV Concept, a completely self-driving vehicle created with the Chevrolet Bolt as a starting point. The system consists of 16 cameras, 21 radars and 5 LIDARs, and actively uses AI and machine learning, its manufacturer claims.