Recently, during a US Senate hearing, two fierce competitors in the autonomous driving industry—Waymo and Tesla—made an unusual joint appeal, urging Congress to accelerate the legislative process. They cautioned that if the US fails to act decisively, China is poised to take the lead in shaping global autonomous driving technology standards and dominating the market. Waymo’s Chief Safety Officer, Mauricio Peña, emphasized that America’s position as a leader in autonomous driving is under direct threat. He pointed out that the US is vying with Chinese autonomous driving firms for control of a multi-trillion-dollar industry—one with strategic significance on par with the aviation and aerospace sectors.
