SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – Uber is riding its self-driving cars into a legal showdown with California regulators.
The ride-hailing company is refusing to obey demands by the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles that it immediately stop picking up San Francisco passengers in self-driving cars.
Hours after Uber launched a self-driving service Wednesday morning with a handful of Volvo luxury SUVs, the DMV sent the company a letter saying the move was illegal because the cars did not have a special permit the department requires for putting autonomous vehicles on public roads.
As of Wednesday night, the Volvos – distinctive in look with sensors protruding from their tops – were still roaming San Francisco’s streets. The company did not respond to a request for comment about the state’s legal threat.
“If Uber does not confirm immediately that it will stop its launch and seek a testing permit, DMV will initiate legal action,” DMV Chief Counsel Brian Soublet wrote the company. He referenced the possibility of taking Uber to court.