U.S. Sets Up an Advisory Panel on Self-Driving Cars

The Obama administration is moving in its waning days in office to set up closer coordination between companies developing autonomous-vehicle technology and regulators who will set rules for how self-driving cars and drones will operate on public roads and airways. The U.S. Department of Transportation said Wednesday it is setting up an advisory committee that will include leaders of major automotive and technology companies, including General Motors Co. Chief Executive Mary Barra as co-chairman and executives at Amazon.com Inc., Uber Technologies Inc., Alphabet Inc. and FedEx Corp. among the 25 members. Naming a large advisory group at a federal agency so late in an administration is somewhat unusual, but state and federal transportation officials believe questions around oversight and safety standards for self-driving cars will remain significant amid rapid advances in the technology. Still, several of the names on the list may draw extra attention from President-elect Donald Trump's incoming Republican administration. Mr. Trump has singled out GM for criticism of the company's decision to manufacture some cars in Mexico, putting Ms. Barra at the heart of debates over industrial and trade policies.