Home Feds name 10 sites as “proving grounds” for autonomous cars

Feds name 10 sites as “proving grounds” for autonomous cars

On its way out the door, the Obama Administration greenlit 10 sites across the United States that will become “proving grounds” for autonomous cars, including one in Michigan and two in California.

The Department of Transport (DoT) announced its picks one day before Obama left office, one of the hundreds of pieces of legislation passed in the last days of the administration.

See Also: Google’s Waymo self-driving cars kept offline to avoid hackers

Willow Run, an old B-24 bomber plant in Michigan, will be the flagship proving ground. The American Center for Mobility is converting the 311-acre site to test autonomous cars from Ford, General Motors, and Hyundai.

The state of Michigan is bankrolling the effort, to the tune of $80 million, in the hope of bringing automotive jobs back to Detroit. It expects the site to pay for itself after a while, through federal grants and possible payments to test vehicles.

Michigan has already pushed through meaningful legislation to legalize self-driving cars in the state, and some auto and tech firms have moved their autonomous operations into Detroit.

What will Trump do?

A decommissioned Naval base in Concord, California, will also be redeveloped for autonomous vehicle tests. Other sites in Arizona and Washington were chosen, but the DoT have not said how much will be spent to convert the sites for autonomous testing.

“The designated proving grounds will collectively form a community of practice around safe testing and deployment,” said ex-U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx in a statement. “This group will openly share best practices for the safe conduct of testing.”

The Trump Administration has not said anything about the onset of autonomous cars, but considering his commitment to bringing jobs back to U.S. citizens, the administration could most likely be against any further development of autonomous technology. That could be an issue for the auto and tech firms that have spent millions preparing for the self-driving revolution.

About ReadWrite’s Editorial Process

The ReadWrite Editorial policy involves closely monitoring the tech industry for major developments, new product launches, AI breakthroughs, video game releases and other newsworthy events. Editors assign relevant stories to staff writers or freelance contributors with expertise in each particular topic area. Before publication, articles go through a rigorous round of editing for accuracy, clarity, and to ensure adherence to ReadWrite's style guidelines.

Get the biggest tech headlines of the day delivered to your inbox

    By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. Unsubscribe anytime.

    Tech News

    Explore the latest in tech with our Tech News. We cut through the noise for concise, relevant updates, keeping you informed about the rapidly evolving tech landscape with curated content that separates signal from noise.

    In-Depth Tech Stories

    Explore tech impact in In-Depth Stories. Narrative data journalism offers comprehensive analyses, revealing stories behind data. Understand industry trends for a deeper perspective on tech's intricate relationships with society.

    Expert Reviews

    Empower decisions with Expert Reviews, merging industry expertise and insightful analysis. Delve into tech intricacies, get the best deals, and stay ahead with our trustworthy guide to navigating the ever-changing tech market.