Trump administration continues hands-off approach to self-driving cars

The Trump administration on Tuesday published the latest guidelines for self-driving cars, the first update since taking over from the Obama administration. The 36-page report, called Version 2.0 by Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, continues the same hands-off approach to the emerging industry, with guidance being “entirely voluntary” with “no enforcement mechanism.”

Most of the questions raised in the guidance mimic what was found in the Obama report last year. These include questions on validation, cybersecurity, road tests, and hardware failures.

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See Also: Who is responsible for autonomous car regulation?

The rather light report comes as a bill, called the SELF DRIVE Act, makes its way through the Senate. The House of Representatives has already passed the bill, which would transfer regulatory power to Congress and let thousands more self-driving cars test on public roads.

The report does make mention of state regulations, warning the states against setting up too many regulations. Most of the states that have a large self-driving presence have already partly legalized road tests or give major auto and tech companies a pass to test on roads.

A coalition of tech and auto companies, including Waymo, Uber, Ford, Volvo, and Lyft, praised the announcement in a statement:

“The Self-Driving Coalition for Safer Streets is pleased to see the Trump Administration continuing the work to bring fully self-driving vehicles to U.S. roads. With more than 35,000 motor vehicle deaths in 2015, the potential safety benefits of fully self-driving technology are too important to delay.”

The report also said companies that integrate self-driving cars would receive preferential treatment in future infrastructure programs. President Trump has said there will be a $1 trillion infrastructure plan for the U.S., involving roads and bridges, but it has yet to be published.

Drive.ai and Lyft partner to test self-driving cars in Bay Area

Drive.ai and Lyft have announced a partnership to test self-driving cars in the San Francisco Bay Area. The trial will look into how Lyft can optimize the passenger experience, and expand Drive.ai’s technical capabilities with thousands of autonomous miles.

Lyft has made a few big self-driving announcements in the past few months, including a research partnership with nuTonomy and the launch of its own self-driving division.

See Also: Waymo could be a $70 billion business, says Morgan Stanley

“We’re committed to improving people’s lives with the world’s best transportation,” said Taggart Matthiesen, senior director of product of Lyft. “We’re thrilled to partner with Drive.ai to pilot self-driving cars in the Bay Area, and together help shape the future of transportation and ultimately the future of our communities.”

Drive.ai is looking to “develop a roadmap for broader commercialization” during the trial. The startup is currently building a retrofit kit, making the deployment of a self-driving system much cheaper for automakers or taxi services.

Still someone in driver’s seat

Like all tests in California, an engineer will be inside the Drive.ai vehicle at all times, to take over when necessary.

“Self-driving cars have the potential to save lives, reshape cities, and dramatically benefit the environment. Pilot programs like this are vital to build awareness and familiarity with autonomous vehicle technology, and Drive.ai is committed to working with great businesses like Lyft in order to do so,” said Drive.ai CEO Sameep Tandon.

Lyft has seen its market share rise over the past few months in the U.S., as Uber struggles to move past a series of setbacks. The second largest ride-sharing company holds between 20 and 30 percent of the market, peaking at 40 percent in San Francisco, according to data from The Information.

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That growth in market share may have pushed Lyft to become more focused on self-driving. Before 2017, it looked likely that Lyft would work exclusively with General Motors, at one point the two companies even discussed an acquisition.

Should Uncle Sam be worried about autonomous vehicle job losses right now?

Highly automated vehicles will positively benefit society in a myriad of ways, but there is also a concern that these vehicles will cause job displacement. We recently sat down with Elliot Katz, chair of McGuireWoods’ Connected and Automated Vehicle practice, to talk about highly automated vehicle deployment and concerns surrounding job displacement, and what the government should be doing now to address this potential issue.

ReadWrite: I have heard that, despite the many benefits that highly automated vehicles will bring to society, many people are concerned about the potential impact these vehicles may have on our workforce. Any thoughts?

Elliot Katz: Highly automated vehicles (HAVs) will benefit society by reducing traffic fatalities, decreasing congestion, reducing air pollution, opening up travel time to productivity and family enjoyment, providing true mobility for all, and creating new jobs. However, you are correct that the introduction of HAVs has raised job displacement concerns, both from labor unions and our government. For example, Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao has said she is “very concerned” about the impact of HAVs on U.S. jobs.

RW: Do you believe these concerns are warranted?

EK: I believe that the transition to driverless vehicles and other technological advances will create new employment opportunities, and that with the right policy and institutional responses from our government, HAV deployment will lead to enhanced levels of employment.

The issue is not that HAV deployment will render individuals whose jobs may be displaced unemployable. Instead, it is that those individuals – without proper occupational training – may lack the skills necessary to successfully transition into the high-quality jobs created by HAV deployment.

RW: Has our government taken any actions to proactively address potential job displacement in our driverless future?

EK: Not directly, no. One thing the government has done – which is highly problematic – is limit the amount or type of HAVs that can be deployed, due to the fear that HAV deployment will cause unemployment. For example, the House included a 10,000-pound weight limit in the Self Drive Act, so that highly automated semi-trucks could not be deployed the way passenger vehicles could be under the bill.

RW: Why is that type of government action highly problematic?

EK: Because we need all types of HAVs deployed to curb traffic accident fatalities, which are on the rise. Last year, an estimated 40,000 traffic accident fatalities occurred in the U.S., and because NHTSA estimates that HAVs could prevent 19 out of every 20 traffic accidents, we cannot afford to limit the amount or type of HAVs deployed on our roads.

By limiting the type or amount of HAVs deployed due to potential unemployment concerns – an issue that can be ameliorated with proper governmental response and action – the government is tempering the life-saving benefits of HAV deployment, while not addressing potential job displacement. According to the Department of Commerce, over 15 million U.S. workers are employed in occupations that could be affected by HAV deployment. That’s why potential job displacement is a critical issue that must be addressed now. By simply limiting HAV deployment in the near term, the government is not addressing the core underlying issue of job displacement that may result from the inexorable and ubiquitous advancement of HAV technology. At some point, humans will no longer drive vehicles, and our government needs to prepare for that time now.

See also: How autonomous vehicles could lead to more jobs in Detroit

RW: What actions do you believe the government should take to proactively deal with this potential issue?

EK: I believe the government should implement occupational training programs to ensure that people have the skills needed to transition to the jobs borne out of HAV deployment.

RW: Do you believe that is possible?

EK: Very much so. In line with his economic agenda, President Trump signed an executive order in June to support the flexibility and growth of workforce development programs and apprenticeships across the country through increased federal funding, new industry-led apprenticeship program guidelines, and a task force responsible for promoting apprenticeship programs. The transition to driverless vehicles will create new employment opportunities, and President Trump’s executive order provides a perfect opportunity to create and implement the training programs needed to ensure that HAV deployment leads to enhanced levels of employment.

RW: Why do you believe that it is important for the government to act now?

EK: President Trump has routinely criticized companies for purportedly shipping jobs overseas, and if nothing is done to retrain U.S. workers, it may only be a matter of time before he turns his attention to potential job displacement in a driverless future. HAVs will have such a net positive impact on society that we cannot risk having government inaction jeopardize the deployment of these vehicles.

Just a few weeks ago, India’s transport and highways minister stated that driverless cars would not be allowed in India, precisely because he believes the technology will take away jobs and lead to unemployment. I strongly believe that is the wrong approach for all the reasons I stated earlier – especially given that, tragically, there were nearly 150,000 traffic accident fatalities in India in 2015 – and I do not want to see the U.S. similarly limit the deployment of these life-saving vehicles.

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Elliot Katz is the chair of McGuireWoods’ Connected and Automated Vehicle practice. In that role, Elliot counsels automakers, global tech companies, ridesharing companies, and municipalities on legal and policy issues pertaining to these types of vehicles, and the greater mobility ecosystem. An advocate who recognizes the important societal and economic benefit of highly automated vehicles, Elliot regularly speaks at connected and automated vehicle events across the U.S. and throughout the world.

Samsung granted permission to test self-driving cars in California

Samsung is the latest technology company to receive a permit to test self-driving cars in California, but does not plan on launching its own automotive anytime soon.

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The South Korean electronics giant will instead work on ‘control systems’ for self-driving vehicles. It has already conducted tests in its home country with Hyundai cars.

See Also: Samsung challenges Google with Connect Home Wi-Fi mesh

Samsung has a major investment in Renault which could be used as a partner in the self-driving development, although it has not publically tested its technology in a Renault vehicle.

The company acquired vehicle audio firm Harman for $8 billion last year, seen as a power move to enter the in-car entertainment and self-driving market.

Even though Samsung has not made as large a footprint in the self-driving market as Google, Baidu, and Uber, it has the funds and talent available to make it a prominent player.

That said, the Galaxy S8 maker may find it difficult to attract partners when rivals are showing millions of autonomous miles driven or advanced artificial intelligence, two things Samsung hasn’t shown.

Samsung’s largest rival in the mobile industry, Apple, has also kept its self-driving developments quiet. It was only a few months ago that the iPhone maker received a permit in California, and has only just started testing three Lexus cars on public roads.

Apple is reportedly planning to launch a shuttle service for employees, going from Palo Alto to the Infinite Loop headquarters. Samsung has not said if it will launch a similar service, or what cars it intends to test in California.

Domino’s and Ford to test self-driving pizza delivery service

Domino’s and Ford have partnered to test a self-driving pizza delivery service to customers in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The partnership will be part of Ford’s research into how customers respond and interact with self-driving vehicles.

Randomly selected customers will have the option of trying the self-driving delivery service, according to The Verge. An engineer will be driving the vehicle and researchers will be in the back, taking notes.

See Also: How drones will change our retail experience, our cities and our skies

The customers will retrieve the pizza by using a unique four digit code that opens the Heatwave Compartment, where the pizzas are kept warm. Ford is looking to see if customers are nervous picking the delivery up from outside their home and how their interact with the car’s screens.

“We don’t want to wait until we get everything done on the tech and remove the driver,” said Sherif Marakby, vice president of Ford’s autonomous vehicles division. “We’re trying to start doing the research. We still are working on the technology, because it’s not ready to be put on public streets. It’s simulating that the vehicle is in autonomous mode.”

Domino’s recently announced its very own vehicle for delivering pizza, the DXP. The car is built for endurance and accessibility, two features that Marakby sees as key in the delivery business.

The restaurant chain has tested robots and drone delivery services as well, as a possible way of delivering pizza faster in heavily congested cities.

Ford wants to have a self-driving vehicle road ready by 2021 and is looking at taxi and delivery services as the key benefactors of its autonomous technology. The company may start by selling its vehicles directly to businesses, before launching a commercial vehicle for individuals.

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It has pledged to spend $1 billion over five years to Argo AI, an artificial intelligence startup.

Can technology stop terrorist vehicle ramming attacks?

It feels like barely a week goes by without another breaking news account of a terrorist attack involving vehicle ramming, a form of attack in which a perpetrator deliberately aims a motor vehicle at a target with the intent to inflict fatal injuries or significant property damage by striking with concussive force.

From 2014 through 2017, terrorists carried out 21 known vehicle ramming attacks worldwide, resulting in over 220 fatalities and 800 injuries, including cities such as London, Stockholm, Berlin, Jerusalem, and Barcelona.

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See also: Can ISIS hack the Internet of Things?

It’s fair to say that people connected to the ideas of terrorism will use any form of weapon possible to maim and kill at their disposal and a car or truck is just one tool in their potential arsenal. It’s also true that preventing terrorism is a multifaceted problem that encompasses law enforcement, intelligence, politics, and surveillance as well as of course, attempts to prevent people becoming attracted to terrorist acts in the first instance. We currently see the installation of bollards and other barriers being erected in public spaces, which may prevent or ameliorate some attacks.

I have lived in two cities where people who died due to car ramming  — Melbourne and Berlin — and technology writers are familiar with the trolley car problem when it comes to the ethics of self-driving cars. Along with deliberate acts of terrorism, we also have the reality of vehicles hitting people or places in the event of an ill or unconscious passenger or a driver poorly following GPS instructions too literally.

So what does this mean for technology, can it solve the problem or will it contribute to the ease of future attacks?

How technology could (and does) help

In Berlin last year a truck was driven by terrorists through a local Christmas market attack in Berlin, resulting in significant casualties, but they could have been worse: the assailant’s truck reportedly stopped early on during the attack. The truck had been fitted with an automatic emergency braking system, something that is covered under a regulation that is now mandated for heavier trucks in the EU.

EU Regulation No. 347/2012 specifies the technical requirements and test procedures for advanced emergency braking systems (AEBS) that detect the possibility of a collision with a preceding vehicle, warn the driver by a combination of optical, acoustic or haptic signals and, if the driver takes no action, automatically apply the vehicle’s brakes. In this instance the application meant that the trajectory of the truck was stopped earlier than intended, thus potentially saving many lives. Similar regulations have been proposed in the U.S.

It’s also worth considering instances where stolen vehicles are being used as attack vehicles as in Stockholm.  Delivery trucks are increasingly embedded with sensor technology and one option would be a kill switch that would shut down the truck and transmit its location as soon as it was reported lost. However, according to security researchers at Cisco, the reality is not quite so simple. I spoke to Barry Einsig, Global Automotive and Transportation Executive, and Franc Artes, Architect, Security Business Group last week who explained that the technology to shut a vehicle down exists today, “and has for probably almost a decade.” According to Artes, this a particularly relevant when we talk about connected vehicles:

“Because they’re connected it creates the opportunity to host the system and update or revoke certificates and ultimately you could geofence these devices and then you could shut those vehicles down. It’s not a technology problem it’s more of a security problem and also a process problem.

There was a lot of studies right after 9/11 regarding being able to shut vehicles down and part of the reason they didn’t advocate it was cyber security related and also because it could cause a bigger safety issue to shut down a big heavy vehicle when it’s going at highway speeds.”

How technology could make attacks easier

We already have ample examples of the ease of car hacking thanks to the efforts of white hat enthusiasts and researchers. It’s thus entirely possible that a car (self-automated or not) could be utilized in a terrorist attack. According to Einsig and Artes, the transportation industry’s technology infrastructure was traditionally built on closed, proprietary systems. The industry is on a journey to switch to modern connected networks, but security leaders fear the exposure to attackers during this transition period.

As we see the move into connected transport systems such as v2v communication and intelligent transportation enterprises. According to security analyst Sam Bocetta, one of the challenges is that with each branch in that chain of community you open yourself up to MITM attacks (Man in the Middle Attacks).

“An example of this is an IMSI catcher which works to basically intercept the communication between a node and a hub. This is done without either party knowing about the breach, allowing the MITM attacker to send a command or message to the node (in this situation the car).”

Criminals are also heavily invested in new technology. Cisco’s Ensig says:

“Cyber criminals think further outside the box than the engineer who’s developing the technology who is focused is solving the problem. Whether it is car technology that notices that you’re starting to swerve into a lane so your vehicle automatically shunts the steering wheel in the other direction to swerve back, hackers have already found a way to activate that to force you into oncoming traffic. Then there are acts like remotely engaging the brakes and crash sensors in the vehicle.”

He also notes that colloquially people connect terrorism with Luddites living in mud huts when they are as likely to be highly educated and intelligent with tech skills:

“Criminals will alway adapt technology faster than anyone…The cyber criminal is always looking far outside the box compared to the engineer developing the technology.”

Although as Bocetta notes:

“Hacking into an autonomous car using the latest technology is a LOT harder than learning how to drive a truck.”

At any rate, it is clear that car makers are working with federal agencies to address many of these issues. We just have to hope that terrorists and other offenders, don’t stay ahead of them.

Here’s an automatic parking service that can park your car driverlessly

Valeo and Cisco recently announced a cooperation agreement for strategic innovation in smart mobility services at the Viva Technology conference in Paris. Their proposed product is Valeo Park4U, a connected platform and app that enables cars to park by themselves in connected car parks.

See also: How do you make parking smarter?

Here’s how it works — the driver gets out of his or her vehicle at the parking lot entrance and activates the automatic parking system using a smartphone. The vehicle then continues its journey in automatic mode until it has finished parking. With just a few clicks, it can be set in motion again to meet the driver at the designated pick-up point in the parking lot.

The vehicle drives itself inside the parking lot by combining the power of automatic parking technologies — Valeo onboard telematics and secure key systems (Valeo InBlue) and Cisco Parking Controller technologies, which equip car parks with Wi-Fi, video sensors, and artificial intelligence-based solutions.

Knowing its environment

The vehicle’s sensors, along with the information provided by the equipment installed in the car park, allow the vehicle to perceive its environment with an extremely high level of accuracy and anticipate and calculate its journey at any time up to the completion of the parking maneuver. The vehicle is able to navigate complex parking facilities in total safety, even multi-story garages, by processing all of the necessary information with the help of an integrated GPS service and the vehicle’s own sensors.

The ability of more recent cars to self-park is not new per se. More significant is the ability of the cars to drop off and pick up the owner at the entrance to the parking garage, with the car effectively acting as a driverless valet. The service is currently being introduced at a connected car park in Issy-les-Moulineaux, France, owned by urban mobility company Indigo. With their parking network of over 750 cities and 16 countries, any future roll-out could be substantial.

Robert Vassoyan, Chief Executive Officer of Cisco France, said:

“With the innovative Cyber Valet Services project, we can currently connect millions of parking spaces in total safety. We are pleased and proud to combine our expertise, technological solutions, and resources with those of Valeo to together provide cities and their residents with new digital services. Partnering with a major French company further illustrates our desire to work in collaboration with the entire ecosystem and our ability to co-innovate as we pursue our commitment to accelerating the digital transformation.”

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Here’s how self-driving cars could impact your city’s planning

As the future of self-driving cars continues to evolve, many of the largest tech companies, auto industries, and city planners around the world are working to prepare for the impacts that autonomous cars will have across all sectors.

Since transportation is a central piece of our society, various thought-leaders and industry experts are working together to ensure public safety and find a way to have future technological advancements improve the economy.

See also: What is the future of self-driving regulation?

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Across the related businesses, hundreds of billions of dollars is being invested in research and development. This investment of both technology and assets are looking to bring the promise of a cleaner, safer, and more efficient method to travel.

How autonomous cars could change policy

Several groups across the world are voicing their concerns on how autonomous cars will impact societies and the public good. Everything from social equality, cyber security, and even how our food is farmed will be changed by emerging technology associated with autonomous vehicles.

Increased urban sprawl

Autonomous vehicles will allow individuals to get more work done as they commute to and from the office since they won’t have to spend their time and energy doing something other than driving.

This will make longer commuting less stressful so that we could see more vehicle traffic in downtown areas.

Cities are witnessing an inversion of investment. As individuals and jobs return to downtowns, the demands to replace surface parking lots with mid and high density, mixed-use development increases.

Autonomous vehicles will propel the shrinking importance of suburban areas since the need to be located within proximity of downtown epicenters will not be needed.

As more people move out of suburbia, these areas will witness economic depressions and will have a difficult time maintaining basic amenities for remaining residents.

Increased parking construction footprint

As more people commute longer distances to work in their autonomous vehicles, cities will be pressured to develop larger and more parking areas to accommodate the increased traffic.

Parking is not an option for major cities, and providing convenient parking is a central focus for cities like Houston, TX, Little Rock, AR, and Washington, DC.

These cities have allocated more than half their land area to highways, streets, and parking areas. This type of land allocation will have wide-reaching repercussions on the environment, low-income communities, and cultural development in the vicinity.

Shifting commerce & service development

As autonomous car technology continues to evolve, many of the largest automakers are placing their bets that future vehicles will run on electricity and stored in onboard batteries.

This exciting advancement will reduce America’s dependency on foreign oil for remote fueling stations, but it will also change the way cities zone construction sites that will support city transportation.

In place of stand-alone gas stations, many parking lots will integrate electric refueling stations. Unlike the single purpose asphalt resting spots of today’s parking lots, future parking areas will double as recharging centers.

See also: Ford patents removable steering wheel for self-driving cars

Charging stations and induction pads in on-street spaces are going to be a vital part of the utility infrastructure of the near future.

The land use implication here is that on-street parking will continue to supply separation between moving cars and bicyclists and pedestrians.

Improved city aesthetics, pedestrian safety & air quality

As autonomous cars account for the majority of vehicles on our public roads, many city planners will be able to use more aesthetically appealing development plans.

This will not only incorporate more trees and other elements since planners won’t have to anticipate the human error. Also, urban planners can also integrate designs that are pedestrian friendly.

Air quality in our cities will also improve once fossil fuels are now not a portion of the exhaust system, improving the environmental surroundings and people’s health.

Self-driving the future of urban planning?

The future of city planning looks bright, and the evolution of self-driving car technology means that our cities will see dramatic impacts moving forward.

It is our responsibility to ensure that our local lawmakers are setting proactive regulations to protect public safety and keep up with the ever-changing environment of emerging technology.

Is Intel leaving consumer IoT to focus on autonomous cars?

It was reported earlier this month that Intel will eliminate nearly 140 jobs after dropping three of its IoT-focused product lines. It followed news in June that last month’s news that Intel was discontinuing development of the company’s Galileo, Joule and Edison lines, originally developed to power a range of IoT-based devices and applications including wearables, smart speakers, and robotics.

This news was preceded by a study in June by Intel into the yet-to-be-realized economic potential when today’s drivers become idle passengers. Coined the “Passenger Economy” by Intel and prepared by analyst firm Strategy Analytics, the study predicts an explosive economic trajectory growing from $800 billion in 2035 to $7 trillion by 2050. I participated in a webinar held by Intel to find out more.

What will we do in vehicles when we are not driving?

By the time we hit Level 5 vehicle autonomy and people are no longer driving themselves or others, Intel suggests we will shift to a model of Mobility-as-a-Service in effect a peripheral economy,  where the car can contain and facilitate a range of functions. Mobility service providers will offer both on-demand and contract or subscription models that offer transportation as an amenity to their core retailing products or services. Over time service, application and content revenue generated by Mobility-as-a-Service will supplant the value of vehicle sales as core sources of shareholder value creation.

See also: Intel creates self-driving car consortium with Ericsson and Toyota

Sociologists like Ray Oldenburg have been promoting the theory of  “‘a third place” since the 1980’s, places outside work where people can enjoy a good atmosphere and the company of others and Intel’s research suggests that this will be one of the uses of self-driving cars during the journey, with in-vehicle services in industries like hotel and hospitality, restaurant and dining, tourism and entertainment, healthcare, and service delivery of all kinds.

If we assume a conservative 300 million workers — less than 10 percent of all workers globally — drive to work an average of 30 minutes per day, this equates to over 60 billion hours per year of time spent driving that could be freed due to pilotless vehicles. This leaves their commuting time ripe for engagement by new services and new delivery models of current services.  In-car services may include onboard beauty salons, touch-screen tablets for remote collaboration, fast-casual dining, remote vending, mobile health care clinics and treatment pods, and even platooning pod hotels. Media and content producers will develop custom content formats to match short and long travel times.

The report offers a range of future scenarios that suggest a future where life is easier and time in a vehicle is as purposeful as at home or work. Imagine if this was your day before a flight:

 Mr. Schmidt has three meetings during the day and a 7:00 p.m. business flight. His Mobility-as-a-Service provider has scheduled a vehicle for him for the day. His ride arrives promptly at 6:55 a.m. to allow time for luggage storage. Leaving him at his first meeting, the AutoCab retrieves a preordered salad for lunch, picks up his suit at the cleaners, and picks up some toiletries for the trip at the pharmacy, and then returns to pick him up after his meeting. Mr. Schmidt completes his meetings using the travel time between meetings to pay bills, manage bank accounts and schedule a review of gift options for his wife’s birthday.

By 1:00 p.m., he has eaten the salad, watched a summary update of news personalized for his interests, and taken a 15-minute nap with the side glass digitally darkened. At 5:00 p.m., Mr. Schmidt arrives at the airport. As he leaves, he asks the vehicle to return some documents to his home before returning to the storage facility where AutoCab vehicles are in holding patterns for their next pickup or delivery.

It’s an interesting scenario as when you make note of all the different interactions that are carried out over the day. Each suggests supplementary and complementary roles carried out by others (let’s face it some like putting purchases in the car may by carried out by robots) and the car is not only a means to transport Mr. Schmidt but also a conduit to a range of other tasks.

B2B Mobility as a service

Mobility as a service will also gradually replace car ownership. This is significant when you consider that the average car currently sits idle 92% of the time. Doug Davis, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Automated Driving Group  at Intel commented that ” large automakers are rapidly evolving into software companies and will become service providers for a fleet of networked vehicles.” Vehicles will be available for hire on-demand (potentially as part of a suite of subscription services) and can be substituted from a fleet, depending on the needs of the passenger.

Roger Lanctot, associate director of Strategy Analytics at Intel mentioned the significant shortage of commercial vehicle drivers in vehicles such as long-haul trucks, alluding to a future where rather than technology taking people’s jobs it would fill the gaps.  The report further suggests that transportation companies, regardless of the size of their travel distances, should plan for the re-training of their workforces. They may, for example, become customer service professionals who can sell and market services and related goods and offerings or supply chain experts.

Lanctot also commented, “It’s possible that we’ll see a whole new class of vehicles, like autonomous bicycles, RV’s and autonomous houses, concepts that a just a twinkle in people eyes.”

A gradual progression is essential

Intel notes that  the transition to passengers being comfortable enough to take their eyes off the road will take some time, stating:

“For this vision of the Passenger Economy to truly arrive, consumers’ perceptions of autonomous vehicles will need to evolve to where they believe and embrace as fact that these vehicles are 100%t safe. To enable this, technology vendors will need to complete billions of miles of testing and deliver a string of commercial solutions that prove vehicle safety and reliability.” They also note that there will be some people unwilling to give up driving altogether.

Intel is just one of many companies that are leveraging a future heavily invested in autonomous transport. It’s becoming an increasingly crowded space as technologists compete to be first to the line with road-ready vehicles once level 3-5 cars become more mainstream. It may be a while yet until we see can sit in our virtual office, but there’s no shortage of technologists waiting with bated breath.

Photographs of future vehicles by Ideo
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What is the future of self-driving car regulation?

Driverless cars are making serious progress. Waymo’s most recent disengagement report showed that the self-driving car software performed much better in 2016 than it did in 2015. Despite the cars traveling more miles overall, the software system had fewer disengagements.

California requires that all companies testing self-driving cars submit a disengagement report each year. Disengagements include any event in which the software was turned off—not necessarily because of an accident, but often because of a perception discrepancy issue or a bug.  

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See also: Toyota unveils autonomous cars for 2020 Tokyo Olympics

Waymo’s vehicles had 0.80 disengagements per 1000 miles in 2015. Last year, the software had only 0.20 disengagements per 1000 miles. That’s a four-fold improvement and an impressive step forward for the technology. Over the course of 635,868 testing miles, there were a total of 124 disengagements in 2016—most of which occurred on streets, not highways, freeways, or interstates. In 2015, the cars traveled 424,331 miles with 341 disengagements.

While there is still a way to go before these vehicles are in widespread use, these statistics show how autonomous cars are advancing at a fast rate. How will these vehicles be regulated once they hit the streets? While California requires disengagement reports and permits, not all states do. Here is the current state of autonomous vehicle regulation and where it is headed in the coming years.

State regulations filling the gap

Currently, multiple states are developing self-driving car regulations. In December, Michigan became the first state to pass comprehensive self-driving car regulations. Four bills were signed into a law that allows for testing and use of self-driving cars on public roads. The law also legalized self-driving cars, ride-sharing and truck platoons. Most surprisingly, it stated that a driver is not required to be in the vehicle. The regulations also make the issue of liability clearer; MDOT requires that all automakers take on full liability for accidents in which the vehicle is driving autonomously and is found at fault.  

Additionally, Massachusetts state senator, Jason Lewis, introduced a bill this January that would tax self-driving cars in the state at a rate of 2.5 cents per mile. The reasoning behind this tax is that it would ideally prevent car owners from operating their self-driving cars without reason. Without a driver, people may send their vehicle to complete errands, enroll it as part of a ride-sharing network, or have it drive around the block to find free parking—but Massachusetts lawmakers don’t want that extra traffic congestion on the roads. The bill would also require all autonomous vehicles to be fully electric. As a result, the tax would also help cover the state’s loss of the current gasoline tax.

When it comes to driverless cars, states are making sure that their regulations are heard. In December, Uber decided to test its self-driving cars on San Francisco streets, after successfully testing them in Pittsburgh. However, in doing so, Uber completely bypassed California’s law that requires companies to apply for a testing permit. When Uber refused to comply with the state law, California stripped their vehicle registrations, and Uber moved its cars to Arizona.

Clearly, there need to be fundamental nationwide regulations so that the country does not end up with a patchwork of self-driving car laws. Only a dozen states currently have self-driving car legislation which adds to the confusion as these autonomous vehicles continue to be tested on public roads and highways.  

More widespread regulations needed

The government released their Federal Automated Vehicles Policy last September, with the goal of establishing a framework for self-driving car regulations. The policy proposes having a 15-point list of safety expectations, though no firm regulations are in place so that the technology’s advancement is not hindered. The U.S. DOT also announced a Federal Committee on Automation in January to work on the pressing matters facing transportation today. Yet with a new transportation secretary in place, and with self-driving cars advancing, states are still creating their own autonomous legislation.  

While this is understandable, we must think about the practicality of these legislative actions. A state level law may end up reaching further than state lines. The nature of cars is that they will travel across state borders. If all states create their own self-driving laws, tech companies and manufacturers will have to abide by the lowest common denominator: the strictest law. While that may have been practical and easy enough for car manufacturers to do for California’s emissions law, it’s unlikely to be as simple for self-driving cars.

Until there are widespread regulation standards, states may want to keep this in mind, as it is not practical for self-driving vehicles to operate differently when they cross a state border. This would become especially difficult regarding AVs morality. There needs to be a standard of performance.

Some philosophy experts suggest that self-driving cars should be regulated similarly to the drug-approval process. These experts recommend testing autonomous cars in phases. First, regulators may simulate unforeseen situations for autonomous cars to drive through which may mirror pre-clinical trials. From there, self-driving cars could move into environments that require additional decision-making skills. As each trial is successful, the vehicles can slowly be rolled out in new settings, on more roads, and eventually, in new cities. These experts assume that over time, as the cars grow smarter, market restrictions will relax. While this process may take time at first, once the technology is refined, the regulatory process will become more efficient.  

These philosophy experts recognize that self-driving cars learn from failure and experiences. Those that shy away this “trial and error” approach may prefer self-driving cars drive perfectly before they hit the streets, but that is not how experiential learning works. Cars on test tracks or only in certain cities will not be enough. They will need to demonstrate their skills on real and varied roads to prove their worth. Perhaps, government regulators could determine acceptable performance standards with help from states and technology or manufacturing companies so that there is a baseline before the vehicles move onto the next phase. There will also need to be standards for autonomous vehicle morality.  

More collaboration between the government and the private sector will be necessary as we move forward to determine the best regulatory process for self-driving cars. Whether that ends up being similar to the drug approval process, or something else entirely, a combination of differing state laws across the country is not the most efficient solution for this technology. Two senators recently announced their plan to move forward on self-driving car rules this year, and stated the need for Congress to assist innovators in bringing this technology to the roads. Current federal vehicle safety standards assume a human operator so there is a need for change. Standards and laws that accommodate the new autonomous technology now will enable a smoother transition into a driverless world in the decades ahead.  

Seth Birnbaum is the CEO and co-founder of EverQuote, the largest online auto insurance marketplace in the U.S.