General Motors still plans to roll out a fleet of self-driving cars for a ride-sharing service of sorts, but the automaker has also called for harmony between companies and governments for cooperation on the new technology.
GM head of open innovation Ted Graham told Forbes during the publication’s Global Forum that there must be a “degree of harmonization” to successfully roll out self-driving cars at any sort of scale. He recalled an incident where police stopped a fleet of self-driving GM vehicles were stopped in Nevada after crossing the border from Arizona.
Many difficulties still exist as cars jump from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, Graham added.
GM has been working tirelessly to roll out its self-driving car technology ahead of its main competitor, Waymo. The Google division plans to also launch its own ride-sharing service in Arizona in the near future, potentially by the end of this year. GM has not disclosed where it plans to launch its fleet of self-driving cars, but it will likely be on the west coast.
The west coast climate plays to autonomous cars’ strengths as the tech cannot face snow, fog or heavy rain. That leaves a vast majority of the United States as dangerous territory for the technology still in its infancy. The automaker has planned to begin testing AVs in New York City, but after it missed an “early 2018” launch, the status is unclear of such a program.
Only 29 states have enacted legislation related to the deployment of self-driving cars, and restrictions can vary. For a successful rollout in the future, GM believes governments at all levels must work together. In the meantime, we’ll be watching GM carefully as we creep into 2019 and approach a time when the automaker will launch its self-driving cars for the public.
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