The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) proposed eliminating brake pedal requirements for vehicles designed to operate exclusively in autonomous mode. This update to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards aims to remove regulatory hurdles for purpose-built driverless vehicles.
The new rule excludes conventional cars or vehicles that retain manual driving controls. While physical pedals may be removed, all vehicles must still meet stringent braking performance and safety standards, including specific stopping distances.
This regulatory shift benefits companies including Tesla, Alphabet’s Waymo, and Amazon’s Zoox. The move could revive projects like General Motors’ Origin AV, which was previously halted due to regulatory uncertainty regarding its lack of manual controls.