Under California law, it doesn't matter if there is a person sitting in the driver's seat or not. If the car is in "autonomous" mode (self-driving), then the manufacturer must get a testing permit. Uber is full of shit here and is likely trying to get around the $5 million dollar insurance requirement that California imposes on manufacturers testing autonomous vehicles on public roads.
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Under California law, it doesn't matter if there is a person sitting in the driver's seat or not. If the car is in "autonomous" mode (self-driving), then the manufacturer must get a testing permit. Uber is full of shit here and is likely trying to get around the $5 million dollar insurance requirement that California imposes on manufacturers testing autonomous vehicles on public roads.