With Donald Trump on his way back to the White House, business sentiment in the U.S. has been on the rise as companies look forward to an expected four years of a pro-business, anti-regulation administration. That cautious excitement is spilling over into the autonomous vehicle industry, which could see an ease on restrictions that could make things easier on outfits looking to deploy self-driving cars on public roads. And, with such AV-favorable conditions, it’s possible we could also see a shift in the transportation ecosystem. But, as with most things with Trump, it’s not a sure thing.
Changing The Federal Framework
An article by Automotive News takes a closer look at what the next Trump administration could mean for the AV industry. As AN reports, Jeff Farrah, CEO of the Autonomous Vehicle Industry Association, believes that the country is on the possible verge of a disruption of “the transportation status quo,” with the help of the next administration. One thing it could do is to federalize the rules governing AVs, effectively replacing the state-by-state patchwork of current rules. Farah and others would like to see federal rules that eliminate limits on the number of AVs allowed under the current exemption process, as well as clear up other rules.
With a new administration incoming, AV advocates hope that the Trump team will take a look at some issues that have been kicked down the road by the Biden admin. While multiple companies have applied for exemptions in order to operate self-driving vehicles that don’t comply with the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard on public roads, the government has dragged its feet. Nuro was able to obtain an exemption, while others, like GM (Cruise), Ford (Argo AI), and Aurora and Waymo, waited years with no results. In some cases, those companies also saw opposition from unions, something that would likely carry less weight in the upcoming administration.
Trump Has AV Allies
Republican Senator John Thune of South Dakota has been elected to become the next senate majority leader upon Trump’s inauguration. He could be key to enacting legislation friendly to the AV industry, as Congressional approval would be required in order to exempt state laws and apply federal rules. Thune co-sponsored previous acts — the SELF DRIVE Act and the AV START Act — favoring AVs, both of which were abandoned by failed. Could his position help to ensure the enactment of such statutes in the future?
There’s also Elon Musk, who will co-lead the new “Department of Government Efficiency” with Vivek Ramaswamy, in an effort to, as Trump says, “pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies.” Musk also has a major business interest in autonomous vehicles, with Tesla recently unveiling the Tesla Cybercab and Cybervan.
But Trump And Some Key Allies Are Unknowns
Despite Trump’s general distaste for regulations that impede business, there’s no promise he and his cabinet will be particularly friendly to the AV industry. Trump picked former congressman and Fox Business host Sean Duffy as his choice for Transportation Secretary. While Trump said Duffy will “usher in a golden age of travel,” it’s unclear how Duffy will approach AVs. The Autonomous Vehicle Industry Association congratulated Duffy on his nomination, and said, “AVIA looks forward to working with Mr. Duffy to promote American leadership on autonomous vehicles,” adding, “AVs will make our roads safer, create new economic opportunities, and provide greater accessibility. It is imperative a federal policy framework on AVs be put in place so the United States can lead on this critical technology in the 21st century.”
And then there’s the question of Trump himself. While largely seen as an opponent to regulation, he recently seemed bearish on AVs when he addressed the Detroit Economic Club in October. “Does anybody like an autonomous vehicle?” he asked. “Some people do. I don’t know. Little concerning to me. But, the autonomous vehicles, we’re going to stop from operating on American roads.”
As damning as those words sound from the mouth of the next president, Trump remains mercurial and unpredictable, and many remain hopeful that he’ll be an ally to innovation and the autonomous vehicle industry. Crystal ball, anyone?
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