US lawmakers, Waymo, Tesla urge Congress to take action to speed deployment of self-driving cars

adds comments from Tesla, Senator Ted Cruz

By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON, Feb 4 (Reuters) - Lawmakers, Waymo and Tesla will urge Congress to take action on long-stalled legislation to speed deployment of self-driving vehicles, warning of competitive threats from China.

The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee is holding a hearing Wednesday on efforts to boost the deployment of robotaxis with testimony from Waymo, Tesla and others. Congress is considering legislation that aims to make it easier to deploy autonomous vehicles without human controls. As robotaxi testing has expanded, Congress has been divided for years about whether to pass legislation to address deployment hurdles.

"We know that this technology is a huge part of the future of the global automotive industry. But right now China is investing heavily in producing autonomous vehicles," Democratic Senator Gary Peters told Reuters ahead of the hearing. "It is absolutely imperative that we take action to ensure American innovation – and American standards – lead the way on the world stage. Not China."

Senate Commerce Committee chair Ted Cruz said regulations must be modernized. "If Congress fails to act, we won’t stop innovation. We’ll simply push it elsewhere. China is moving aggressively to deploy autonomous transportation at scale," Cruz said.

Waymo, an Alphabet-unit, will also urge Congress to pass legislation to advance self-driving vehicles, arguing U.S. leadership "in the autonomous vehicle sector is now under direct threat. The United States is locked in a global race with Chinese AV companies for the future of autonomous driving, a trillion-dollar industry comparable in strategic importance to flight and space travel," according to testimony seen by Reuters.

Tesla vehicle engineering vice president Lars Moravy said at the hearing Congress "must modernize regulations that inhibit industry’s ability to innovate."

"If the U.S. does not lead in AV development, other nations—particularly China—will shape the technology, standards, and global market," Moravy's written testimony says.

(Reporting by David Shepardson in Washington; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Franklin Paul)

((Email David.Shepardson@thomsonreuters.com 202-579-6093))