Detroit's Grand Plan to Lead the Self-Driving Revolution

The cradle of American automotive innovation has in the past decade migrated 2,000 miles from Detroit to Silicon Valley, where autonomous vehicles and other advanced technology is coming to life. In a bid to reclaim the mantle for Motown, Michigan lawmakers have introduced legislation that could make their state the best place in the country, if not the world, to develop self-driving vehicles and put them on the road. But this being Michigan, it's no surprise the proposals favor industry players and could inadvertently (or intentionally) criminalize some research. "Michigan's dominance in auto research and development is under attack from several states and countries who desire to supplant our leadership in transportation. We can't let that happen," says senator Mike Kowall, the lead sponsor of four bills introduced Wednesday.