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Uber: We Don't Need a Permit For Self-Driving Cars (cnet.com)

Posted by msmash on from the bending-the-rules dept.

Uber has a simple approach to business: Don't ask for permission, but be prepared to seek forgiveness. Its foray into self-driving cars in California is no different. From a report on CNET: Confirming news that CNET broke Tuesday, the ride-hailing company officially announced Wednesday that it's rolling out a fleet of self-driving cars to passengers in San Francisco, making California only the second state in which Uber offers such services. But Uber didn't run the plan past the California Department of Motor Vehicles, which requires a permit for such cars. Now, the DMV told Uber to cut it out... or else. "It is illegal for the company to operate its self-driving vehicles on public roads until it receives an autonomous vehicle testing permit," the DMV wrote in a letter to Uber on Wednesday. "Any action by Uber to continue the operation of vehicles equipped with autonomous technology on public streets in California must cease." [...] The DMV warned Uber a month ago that it needed a permit to operate self-driving cars in the state, according to Brian Soublet, the department's chief legal counsel, who held a conference call with reporters on Wednesday. Soublet said he told the company the same thing Tuesday before its launch. But Uber didn't appear to listen. "We understand that there is a debate over whether or not we need a testing permit to launch self-driving Ubers in San Francisco," Anthony Levandowski, Uber's vice president of self-driving technology, wrote in a blog post Wednesday. "We have looked at this issue carefully and we don't believe we do."

3 of 357 comments (clear)

  1. Translation by Kjella · · Score: 5, Insightful

    We want to make a PR stunt to show that regulation is killing innovation in the industry and that we're the hip and cool future while our legal team thinks we'll be able to backpedal in time to avoid major economic penalties.

    --
    Live today, because you never know what tomorrow brings
    1. Re:Translation by dywolf · · Score: 5, Informative

      You think an autonomous permit has anything to do with certification of software and systems of an autonomous vehicle?

      Yes,
      because that's
      EXACTLY
      what it does.

      --
      The guy who said the election was rigged won the presidency with the second-most votes.
  2. Translation by sjbe · · Score: 5, Insightful

    "We have looked at this issue carefully and we don't believe we do."

    Translation: "We'll do whatever we want until a judge tells us to stop. Maybe not even then."

    I don't really get why Uber would give a shit about autonomous vehicles. Their entire business model is based around an asset light setup. They don't own or insure the cars that Uber drivers use. Going to autonomous vehicles in any substantial way would require a very hefty capital investment AND it would ruin their (bogus) argument that they aren't a taxi service. It doesn't make much sense to me.