Ride-hailing technology company Uber is to test self-driving cars in San Francisco, having received approval from the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) in California.
Uber Advanced Technologies has been testing self-driving vehicles across North America, but tests were suspended following a fatal collision with a pedestrian in Tempe, Arizona, in March 2018.
In a statement, Uber said, “San Francisco is a great city to gather key learnings for self-driving technology, given its complex and ever-changing environment. While we do not have an update as to exactly when we’ll resume autonomous testing, receiving our testing permit through the California DMV is a critical step toward that end in Uber’s home city.”
As of February 5, 2020, 66 companies were authorized to test autonomous vehicles by the DMV in California.
Uber has not stated when it will resume operations, but the company tells Autonomous Vehicle International it will be in the very near future. The company could not say exactly where the Volvo XC90s would be tested, but it will be within San Francisco.
Uber is undertaking tests in other North American cities, testing autonomously in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Manual data collection for mapping and simulation, where a safety driver is driving at all times, is taking place in Dallas, Texas; Washington DC; Toronto, Canada; and San Francisco.