Misreading local politics could foil Waymo's ambitious growth plans, erasing the giant lead it has over competitors.
State of play: While self-driving cars are permitted in about half the country, the laws would have to be changed in places like Washington, D.C., and New York, where a human operator is still required behind the wheel.
Yes, but: Michigan is a different story.
The state has a "very permissive" framework for autonomous vehicles, Henry Liu, director of Mcity at the University of Michigan, tells Axios.
That means the bigger question in Detroit is less about state law than whether Waymo is ready to operate safely at scale in winter conditions.
In other states, the law is silent on driverless cars, which means it's open to interpretation — and debate.
What they're saying: "The biggest hurdle Waymo faces is not understanding local politics," says AV policy expert Grayson Brulte, founder and CEO of The Road to Autonomy, a strategic advisory firm.
"They're going into markets where the policy is not ready yet," he said.
It can take years to pass new legislation in many states, which could delay Waymo's plans.
