California proposes to allow self-driving heavy-duty truck testing

Audio By Carbonatix

By David Shepardson

(Reuters) -The California Department of Motor Vehicles said Friday it is proposing to allow testing of self-driving heavy-duty trucks and other large vehicles on state public roads.

California currently allows self-driving light-duty passenger vehicles for testing on public roads but not heavy-duty vehicles weighing more than 10,001 pounds, which manufacturers are testing in states like Texas, Arizona, and Arkansas.

The state would limit autonomous heavy-duty commercial motor vehicles driverless testing on specified routes that are legal for the size, weight and loading of the vehicle or vehicle combination and would largely ban operation on city streets.

California would not allow testing of certain heavy-duty operations including household movers, commercial vehicles used to transport passengers, oversize loads, hazardous materials, and bulk liquids.

The state plans a public hearing on June 10 on the proposal.

The state is also proposing to update light-duty testing requirements. All manufacturers will be required to

initially hold a permit to test with a safety driver in the vehicle and then apply in subsequent phases for driverless testing permit and deployment permits.

To apply for a driverless testing permit for light-duty vehicles, manufacturers will be required to conduct testing within the proposed operational design domain for a minimum of 50,000 miles. Heavy-duty manufacturers would be required to conduct at least 500,000 autonomous miles of testing; up to 400,000 of these miles may occur outside California.

California is proposing to expand both the frequency and type of data reported to the department during testing and

deployments requiring monthly reporting on disengagements, vehicle immobilizations and hard braking events.

The proposal comes as the Trump administration said Thursday it is easing some reporting requirements for self-driving and advanced driver assistance system incidents.

Heavy-duty truck manufacturers face other issues. In 2024, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration denied Aurora Innovation’s application to pilot modernized roadside warning systems in autonomous trucking, prompting the automaker to file suit in January.

Aurora has said it plans to launch driverless trucks in April in Texas.

(Reporting by David Shepardson, Editing by Franklin Paul)