Companies planning to test autonomous vehicles in Washington, will have to pay a steep price for insurance thanks to new rules set out by the state legislature. Companies testing self-driving technology will be required to pay for a policy that covers it for no less than $5 million.
The state minimum for liability insurance for regular drivers is just $25,000. That means that the requirement for companies testing autonomous vehicles is 200 times higher than it is for human drivers, starting on January 1, 2023.
In addition, the legislation will require companies that conduct, test, or operate autonomous vehicles in the state to self-certify before heading out onto the road, to ensure that their vehicles are compliant with state requirements.
Read: U.S. Regulators Probing GM’s Cruise Robotaxis For Blocking Traffic And Causing Crashes
So far, just three companies are listed as having completed the self-certification process. These include NVIDIA, Waymo—which is owned by Google—and Zoox—which was purchased by Amazon in 2020, and tests in Seattle. The northwestern city has been chosen as a testing ground by Zoox, in part because of its difficult, often rainy conditions.
“A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor, and it’s the exact same principle for our technology,” said Kai Wang, Zoox’s Director of Prediction. “The challenges of Seattle will let us hone our software stack and ultimately improve the behavior of our vehicles.”
The tech hub is just one of a number of cities that is opening itself up to autonomous testing. San Francisco, is another important locus for autonomous testing. Cruise LLC, which is owned by GM, tests in the California city, and became the first company to be allowed to charge passengers for rides in autonomous robotaxis.
