DETROIT (AP) — For the first time, the U.S. government’s national highway safety agency has approved a company’s request to deploy self-driving vehicles that don’t meet federal safety standards that apply to cars and trucks driven by humans.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has given Silicon Valley robotics company Nuro a provisional green light to operate self-driving delivery vehicles at low speeds that are designed not to carry humans.
Nuro vehicles are not required to have safety features such as side or rear-view mirrors, nor are windshield wipers, steering wheels or brake pedals on the safety feature list.
Until now, these vehicles were subject to federal standards for low-speed vehicles traveling under 25 mph. These vehicles didn’t need steering wheels or brake pedals, and they didn’t need human backup drivers. Nuro’s battery-powered vehicles can be monitored and controlled remotely by a human operator if needed.
Bryant Walker Smith, a law professor at the University of South Carolina who studies vehicle automation, said the approval is the first sign that NHTSA is moving away from abstract statements and voluntary standards on self-driving cars toward actual regulation. He said it signals that the agency, which has publicly said it doesn’t want to get in the way of new technology, is likely to approve more vehicles in the future.
“This is the first time that an agency has said, ‘We’re going to approve this vehicle that doesn’t meet the traditional driver-focused standards,'” he said. “This is a big step because it makes it much more concrete and real for the agency and for the public.”
The provisional approval requires Nuro to provide real-time safety reports to authorities, meet regularly with authorities and engage with communities where the vehicles operate.
Read more: Should self-driving cars rescue passengers and pedestrians in case of accidents? 2 million people have their say
“NHTSA is committed to promoting the safe testing and deployment of advanced vehicle technologies, including innovative vehicle designs that hold great promise for improving safety in the future. As always, we will not hesitate to exercise our deficiency authority when necessary to protect public safety,” said NHTSA Acting Administrator James Owens.
The statement said authorities would use enforcement powers if they found evidence of an unreasonable risk to safety.
In December, Nuro announced plans to partner with Walmart to use its slow-speed delivery vehicles to deliver groceries to customers in Houston. The service, which is set to launch earlier this year, will use vehicles and self-driving Toyota Prius hybrids. Nuro has also been testing deliveries with Kroger in Arizona and Houston.
Mountain View, California-based Nuro on Thursday unveiled a new version of its self-driving delivery vehicle, called “R2,” the second generation of vehicles built specifically to deliver goods rather than people.
The company said it plans to deploy fewer than 100 vehicles this year but has permission from NHTSA to eventually operate up to 2,500.
Delivery vehicles equipped with laser, camera and radar sensors will operate on public roads alongside normal traffic.
An exemption from NHTSA’s automotive standards also allows Nuro to keep the rear camera running at all times — the company says current standards require the camera display to be turned off when the vehicle is moving forward to avoid distracting the human driver.
Nuro said in a statement that the R2 has a front section that folds inward to protect pedestrians, and it also has temperature control to keep perishables and meals fresh.
The vehicle uses the code to open the depot and makes the delivery curbside to a person who is able to unload the goods.
Nuro said the NHTSA approval comes after three years of work with the agency.
Read more: New U.S. plan makes standards for self-driving cars optional
“Nuro ushers in a new era of zero-passenger vehicles as a community-friendly, socially responsible alternative to large passenger vehicles used for shopping and other errands,” the company said in a statement.
Dave Ferguson, the company’s co-founder and president, said the NHTSA’s decision “shows that the exemption means more safety.”
General Motors’ application for certification of the self-driving Chevrolet Bolt, which does not meet safety standards for human-driven vehicles traveling at high speeds, is still unresolved. GM wants the Bolt to be certified without a steering wheel or brake pedal.
Walker Smith said the high speeds will make it more difficult for NHTSA to make that determination.
Until now, technology companies and automakers have been able to test self-driving cars without NHTSA approval because they have steering wheels, brake pedals and other features needed for human-controlled cars and trucks.