TechCrunch Mobility: The Challenge of Ticketing Robotaxis
▼ Summary
– California’s DMV issued new 100-page rules for autonomous vehicle testing and deployment, including data collection, training, and operations requirements.
– Under the rules, law enforcement can cite AV companies for traffic violations, with companies required to report violations to the DMV within 72 hours, though no monetary fines are attached.
– The DMV now allows heavy-duty autonomous vehicles to test and deploy on public roads, which self-driving truck companies like Kodiak support.
– AV industry insiders describe the new data collection and sharing regulations as “burdensome,” while annual disengagement reports have been replaced with “dynamic driving task performance relevant system failure” reporting.
– China suspended new AV licenses after Baidu’s Apollo Go robotaxis experienced sudden stops, and Rivian downsized its DOE loan from $6.6 billion to $4.5 billion, altering its Georgia factory plans.
Welcome back to TechCrunch Mobility, your essential source for transportation innovation and policy. This edition takes a deeper look at one topic, so expect a slightly different format than usual. There’s a good reason for that.
Though this newsletter covers the globe, state-level policies often ripple across the entire tech and startup ecosystem. That brings us to California’s new autonomous vehicle rules released this week by the Department of Motor Vehicles. Two new regulatory packages, totaling 100 pages, set requirements for testing and deploying AVs. Over the past few days, I talked with engineers and policy experts at AV companies. They have strong opinions but few wanted to speak on the record. Fortunately, the public comment period gives us a window into what the industry supported and what it opposed.
The regulations tighten data collection, sharing, training, and operational standards. Here are the key takeaways, informed by insider perspectives.
How do you ticket a robotaxi? Under these rules, law enforcement can cite AV companies for traffic violations committed by their vehicles. The “Notice of Autonomous Vehicle Noncompliance” requires the manufacturer to report the violation to the DMV within 72 hours of receiving it from police. Interpretations vary on implementation, but there is no monetary fine attached. Instead, these violations serve as data points the DMV can use to spot problems and take corrective action.
Insiders told me that the data is more actionable than a fine. My question: why not both?
The good news for the industry: The DMV now permits heavy-duty vehicles with autonomous technology to test and eventually deploy on public roads. Self-driving truck companies are celebrating. Daniel Goff, VP of external affairs at Kodiak, confirmed the company is already preparing the required documentation for a permit.
The burden for the industry: The word “burdensome” came up in every conversation about the new data collection and sharing rules. Insiders consistently used it to describe the increased reporting load.
Goodbye, disengagement reports; hello, malfunctions: Many welcomed the elimination of annual disengagement reports. Those reports, which logged when human drivers took over due to technology failures, were controversial because companies used inconsistent standards, making comparisons impossible. That section has been replaced with a requirement to report “dynamic driving task performance relevant system failure.” While this may sound like jargon swapping, insiders say it is a clearer metric than its predecessor. It isn’t universally loved, but it’s an improvement.
The rules also mandate annual updates to first responder interaction plans, access to manual vehicle override systems, two-way communication links with 30-second response times, and updated training for safe interactions with first responders.
My question for you: do these rules go too far, or are they appropriate for keeping AV companies accountable? Sign up for the Mobility newsletter to vote in our polls.
A little bird
We heard from many insiders about the new California AV rules, so nothing new to add here. But remember, you can always send us tips. Here’s how.
Got a tip? Email Kirsten Korosec at kirsten.korosec@techcrunch.com or Signal at kkorosec.07, or email Sean O’Kane at sean.okane@techcrunch.com.
Deals!
BMW i Ventures launched a new $300 million fund with a timely thesis: AI will reshape the automotive industry. The fund will invest in early-stage through Series B startups in North America and Europe focused on agentic AI and physical AI, as well as industrial software, advanced materials, and manufacturing and supply-chain technologies. This third fund brings the firm’s total capital under management to $1.1 billion.
Other deals that caught my attention:
Sereact, a German robotics startup, raised $110 million in a Series B round led by VC Headline. Other investors include Bullhound Capital, Felix Capital, Daphni, Air Street Capital, Creandum, and Point Nine.
Spirit Airlines is preparing to shut down after failing to secure a $500 million lifeline from the government, the WSJ reports. The company is expected to cease operations around 3 a.m. ET Saturday.
Notable reads and other tidbits
China suspended issuing new licenses for autonomous vehicles after dozens of Baidu’s Apollo Go robotaxis suddenly stopped last month, Bloomberg reported.
Google’s Gemini AI assistant is hitting the road in millions of vehicles.
Faraday Future paid around $7.5 million to a company controlled by its founder, Jia Yueting, in 2025, senior reporter Sean O’Kane discovered in a recent SEC filing.
Rivian reported earnings this week, and one standout item was the downsizing of its DOE loan from $6.6 billion to $4.5 billion. That restructuring changes its Georgia factory plans. Instead of two 200,000-vehicle capacity structures, Rivian will build a 300,000-vehicle capacity factory and leave the adjacent “pad” untouched for future development. Analysts viewed this as rightsizing. Barclays, for example, sees the modification as Rivian adjusting to the current EV environment, noting it doesn’t believe Rivian plans to build the second plant “at least not until early/mid next decade.”
Tesla launched a Semi-Charging for Business program, including a new product called the Basecharger designed for depot and overnight use.
Uber has tapped Hertz to clean, charge, and fix its Lucid Motors robotaxis. This announcement left us with a cheeky question: how many companies does it take to launch a robotaxi service?
Uber customers in the United States can now book hotels directly through the app, one of several new features announced this week that pushes far beyond the company’s original ride-hailing purpose. At launch, Uber customers will have access to more than 700,000 hotels worldwide through a partnership with Expedia Group, the travel company that Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi led for 12 years.
Vay, a remote driving tech startup, says it has grown its fleet to 175 vehicles on the road and has surpassed 60,000 rides.
(Source: TechCrunch)
