Musk lobbies Washington to clear way for self-driving cars

Elon Musk is pushing lawmakers to help clear a path for driverless vehicles, according to people familiar with the matter, part of a broader effort behind the scenes to lobby for a key priority of Tesla Inc.

In recent weeks, Musk and people who work for him have been calling members of Congress directly to gather support, said the people, who asked not to be named because the discussions are private. He has also been weighing in on revisions of a bill introduced May 15 that would begin setting up a basic framework for autonomous vehicles.

Options discussed include expediting the bill or presenting a more detailed measure similar to it before Congress’ July Fourth recess, one of these people said.

A spokesperson for Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), sponsor of the bill in question, said her office doesn’t disclose whom she meets with.

“This bill moves forward on decadeold DOT recommendations and is designed to identify all essential needs for commercial-scale AV deployment,” said Joe Jackson, senior communications advisor. “Major policy decisions on AVs are long overdue.”

In an Oval Office news conference on Friday, Musk said he will continue to advise President Trump even after he steps away from the so-called Department of Government Efficiency he has spearheaded.

“The administration’s policy is driven by one thing and one thing only: achieving the president’s agenda and his commitment to the American people,” White House Deputy Press Secretary Harrison Fields told Bloomberg.

Musk and Tesla did not respond to requests for comment.

Clearing the path for autonomous vehicles would be a huge win for Musk, who has said he’s refocusing on his business empire. He’s increasingly betting Tesla’s future on autonomy and robotics.

Tesla plans to launch its long-anticipated rideshare service in Austin, Texas, on June 12, using a small fleet of existing Model Y SUVs, Bloomberg reported. Tesla also aims to add purpose-built Cybercabs, expected to reach volume production next year, to its rideshare service.

Right now, Tesla’s Cybercab usage would be limited by federal rules that allow special exemptions only for a test batch of 2,500 vehicles that lack a steering wheel and control pedals. Tesla and other operators have pushed for years to get a federal standard to allow such driverless vehicles on America’s highways.

The Trump administration has said it’s amenable to federal rules for AVs and Musk has used Tesla’s earnings calls to advocate for a federal framework for self-driving cars.

A White House official said Tesla has to make business decisions that are in its best interest. The person, speaking under the condition of anonymity to discuss private matters, said the president will continue to focus on making American energy dominant again and will pursue policies to support that infrastructure.

“It’d be wonderful for the United States to have a national set of rules for autonomous driving as opposed to 50 independent sets of rules on a state-by-state basis,” Musk said to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy when he visited Tesla in May.

Currently, companies running AVs are keeping the numbers small and are adhering to a patchwork of state rules. In Texas, Tesla will face few regulations at its launch, with the state regulating autonomous vehicles much like any other car, only requiring cameras, insurance and the ability to follow traffic laws.

Congress has had various bills pushing to permit a range of 80,000 to 200,000 autonomous vehicles per manufacturer, but none have managed to pass through the Senate. One bill passed the House in 2017 to allow 100,000 AVs on public roads, but the Senate never brought it to a vote. There, trial attorneys lobbied Democrats to keep new rules at bay without guarantees of how legal liability would be managed.

Rep. Bob Latta (R-Ohio), who is a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and sponsored the bill, is working on revisions with plans to reintroduce it within the next few weeks, said the people. Latta did not return requests for comment.

Welch, Ludlow and Carlson write for Bloomberg.