Skip to main content

Audi obtains permits to test self-driving cars on New York roads

audi self driving car new york a7 concept
Audi of America
Fresh off its announcement at CES 2017 of a self-driving car by 2020, Audi said Wednesday that New York state had approved its application to test autonomous vehicles. The license is for Society of Automobile Engineers (SAE) Level 3 vehicles, which is reserved for cars capable of automated driving at highway speeds if certain conditions are met.

To satisfy New York state regulations, two trained engineers will be in the car at all times, one in the driver’s seat and another in the back. These engineers will monitor the system and ensure the car is operating safely. So far, the company says the company has logged “thousands of miles” in its concept cars without an incident.

Audi is the first automobile manufacturer to win a license to operate autonomous cars in the state, less than a month after Governor Andrew Cuomo announced the state would begin accepting applications. The test period runs through April 1, 2018, but comes with some fairly onerous stipulations to participate.

Automakers must carry a $5 million insurance policy per vehicle and reimburse state police for overseeing the tests, in addition to the requirements for trained engineers inside the car. Vehicles are also prohibited from operating near schools or construction zones. At the end of the test period, any participating automaker must submit a report on their findings to the state’s Commissioner of Motor Vehicles.

This likely keeps all but the most established automakers from participating, but for companies like Audi — who have committed to self-driving technology — it is a necessary cost.

“We have been leading the way in the development of piloted driving technology for more than a decade now, and testing in real-world environments is a key step in our pursuit of safer roads,” Audi of America President Scott Keogh said.

Altogether, 18 states have passed some type of legislation permitting autonomous vehicles according to the National Council of State Legislatures, however, the degree of what is permitted varies widely from state to state.

Ed Oswald
For fifteen years, Ed has written about the latest and greatest in gadgets and technology trends. At Digital Trends, he's…
Cruise says it’s nearing approval for mass production of futuristic robotaxi
Interior of Cruise's Origin vehicle.

Robotaxi company Cruise is “just days away” from getting regulatory approval that would pave the way for mass production of its purpose-built driverless vehicle, CEO Kyle Vogt said on Thursday in comments reported by the Detroit Free Press.

General Motors-backed Cruise unveiled the vehicle -- called Origin -- in early 2020, presenting the kind of driverless car that we all dreamed of when R&D in the sector kicked off years ago; a vehicle without a steering wheel and without pedals. A vehicle with passenger seats only.

Read more
Robotaxi firm Cruise ordered to halve fleet following incidents
A Cruise autonomous car.

Autonomous car company Cruise has been told by regulators to halve its robotaxi fleet in San Francisco following a crash with a fire truck on Thursday in which the driverless car's passenger suffered minor injuries.

The regulator -- the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) -- said that it’s looking into “recent concerning incidents” involving self-driving Cruise cars operating on the city’s public roads.

Read more
An autonomous car in San Francisco got stuck in wet concrete
A Cruise autonomous car.

A self-driving car operated by General Motors-backed Cruise got stuck on Tuesday when it drove into a patch of wet concrete.

The incident happened in San Francisco and occurred just days after California's Public Utilities Commission made a landmark decision when it voted to allow autonomous-car companies Cruise and Waymo to expand their paid ridesharing services in the city to all hours of the day instead of just quieter periods.

Read more