Commentary

California OKs Driverless Delivery Vehicles

Self-driving vehicles without the typically required safety driver soon will be hitting the road, at least in California. 

The state’s Department of Motor Vehicles has decided to allow autonomous delivery vehicles weighing less than 10,000 pounds to receive permits for riding on public roads. 

Under the new regulations, qualifying vehicles include autonomous passenger cars, midsized pickup trucks and cargo vans carrying goods such as groceries or pizza. The DMV can start approving new applications in 30 days. 

The vehicles will be required to follow the same requirements in place for testing and deploying autonomous passenger vehicles. Depending on the permit, companies will be able to test their vehicles with or without a backup driver. 

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“The adoption of these regulations means Californians soon could receive deliveries from an autonomous vehicle, provided the company fulfills the requirements,” Steve Gordon, DMV director, said. “As always, public safety is our primary focus.” 

Previous regulations did not allow for testing or commercial use of light-duty, self-driving delivery vehicles on public roads.

While the vehicles can be self-driving, they still have to be remotely “connected” in some way.

The regulations say that the self-driving delivery vehicles would require a communication link between the vehicle and remote operator as well as a process to communicate between the vehicle and law enforcement.

While 65 companies already have permits to test autonomous vehicles with a safety driver in California, only Alphabet’s Waymo has a permit for driverless testing.

That is about to change.

1 comment about "California OKs Driverless Delivery Vehicles".
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  1. R MARK REASBECK from www.USAonly.US , December 23, 2019 at 5:54 p.m.

    "While the vehicles can be self-driving, they still have to be remotely “connected” in some way.

    The regulations say that the self-driving delivery vehicles would require a communication link between the vehicle and remote operator as well as a process to communicate between the vehicle and law enforcement.'

    MORONS!!!!    Let's see, how many EXTRA people does this take to have the "luxury" of groceries being delivered?   First, if you're too dang lazy to go to the store and you want your food delivered, DO YOU REALLY CARE if the vehicle had a driver?   Yes you will, because a driver can take it to your door.  The luxury of self driving , you will have to go to the curb to get them.  What about A 30 story high rise????    MORONS!!

    So we have a video gamer somewhere making sure the Ghost-driver Gro-cart is doing fine, even though a real driver in the seat can see pretty much the whole road IN PERSON, but for some reason it is better to have "gamer" watching cameras, pods, and sensors???

    And more law enforcement  to monitor the monitors????

    OMG, we all know California is way-out there as far as "Normal"  this little Circus will prove it once more.  Don't these things only go 25 MPH?    These things will be one, run over or two, ripped off by the out-of-control homeless population will nail 'em!!!!

    MORONS!!!!!

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About the Author

Chuck Martin is Editor of the AI & IoT Daily at MediaPost and writes the daily Connected Thinking column. He is a NY Times Business bestselling author and his latest book is “Digital Transformation 3.0” (The New Business-to-Consumer Connections of The Internet of Things.) He is CEO of Net Future Institute and a frequent keynote speaker internationally. Follow him on Twitter @chuckmartin and contact him at Chuck@MediaPost.com.