Uber's Defiance Of California On Self-Driving Car Rules Sparks Legal Brawl

Uber says it intends to continue a self-driving car test program in San Francisco in defiance of warnings from California's Department of Motor Vehicles that it faces legal consequences for not getting a $150 permit for the project. The state Attorney General's office joined the DMV late Friday in demanding that Uber halt the program immediately. In a letter to Anthony Levandowski, head of the ride-hailing company's automated vehicle team, the state's highest legal office asked Uber to "adhere to California law and immediately remove its'self-driving' vehicles from the state's roadways until Uber complies with all applicable statutes and regulations." Should it fail to do so, "the Attorney General will seek injunctive and other appropriate relief," said Miguel Neri and Fiel Tigno, Supervising Deputy Attorneys General. State rules on autonomous vehicles "don't apply" to Uber's program, Levandowski said in a conference call earlier Friday.