GM, Toyota And Lyft Urge Congress To Set Nationwide Self-Driving Car Standards

GM CEO Mary stands next to a Chevrolet Bolt EV self-driving car at a news conference in Detroit on Dec. 15, 2016. With billions of dollars committed to research and testing of vehicles driven by artificial intelligence rather than humans, the last thing automakers and tech firms want is balkanized regulations that vary from state to state or out-of-date federal rules for this fast-developing technology. So General Motors, Toyota, Volvo and ride-hailing service Lyft had a unified message for members of the House of Representatives on Tuesday: Set a national framework for testing and deploying autonomous vehicles -- and do it soon. "One of the most significant challenges that we face today with respect to the testing of autonomous vehicle technology is the patchwork of policy initiatives at the state level," Gill Pratt, CEO of the Silicon Valley-based Toyota Research Institute, said in testimony to the House Subcommittee on Digital Commerce and Consumer Protection. "More and more states are developing legislation and regulations that are unfortunately creating impediments to the development of autonomous vehicle technology."