Google seeks changes in Michigan self-driving car bill

DETROIT -- Michigan is seeking to retain its leadership as the heart of the nation's auto industry in a new tech-driven age. But Google isn't happy with legislation aimed at fostering the development of self-driving cars. The California tech giant is contesting legislation the Michigan Senate passed last week aimed at making the state a hub for autonomous car research. Google sees some of the language as excluding companies like Google that are newcomers to making cars. In a letter, John Krafcik, head of Google's Self-Driving Car Project, took issue with two provisions and asked that they be amended: "One interpretation of that definition would exclude companies, like Google, that manufactures autonomous vehicles but do not currently sell them," Krafcik wrote. "That could be interpreted to exclude vehicles supplied by a vehicle manufacturer that another company, like Google, modifies with automated driving systems," Krafcik said.