California is loosening its restrictions on autonomous trucking, paving the way for much heavier driverless vehicles to be tested on public roads. Under the new rules, self-driving trucks weighing as much as 80,000 lbs will be eligible for public-road testing, a major increase from the previous 10,000-lb limit.

 

The regulatory change follows California’s Department of Motor Vehicles granting Aurora Innovation and Kodiak AI approval to test their autonomous driving systems on public roads. The DMV introduced the updated rules in April, creating a regulatory framework specifically designed to accommodate heavy-duty autonomous vehicles.