Toyota to urge moratorium on state regulations on autonomous vehicles

A senior Toyota executive wants the federal government to keep states from setting their own autonomous vehicle rules, something carmakers say could threaten the emerging industry with a patchwork of contradictory regulations.

'A clear and unequivocal statutory or regulatory prohibition on states regulating vehicle performance of autonomous vehicle technology would help to halt or prevent the emergence of a patchwork of state laws,” Gill Pratt, CEO of the Toyota Research Institute, said in testimony prepared for a House subcommittee hearing set for Tuesday.

Automakers and technology companies are racing to develop autonomous vehicles, spurring new partnerships between Detroit and Silicon Valley. General Motors plans to deploy a fleet of self-driving Chevrolet Bolts operated by ride-share provider Lyft.

Ford has announced a $1 billion investment in Pittsburgh-based artificial intelligence company Argo AI to develop the 'brain” for autonomous cars the manufacturer plans to introduce in 2021.

Pratt and executives from other companies developing autonomous cars including General Motors, Volvo Cars and Lyft plan to urge lawmakers to take steps to thwart a flood of inconsistent autonomous vehicle rules that they say will hinder work behind those investments.