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Speaking at the South by Southwest music, technology and film
festival (SXSW), Buttigieg said regulation had to set boundaries
for self-driving without stifling innovation in an industry that
"is still largely in its infancy."
"It's okay to allow that experimentation to flourish up until
and unless we start seeing a real escalation of some of the
safety concerns," Buttigieg said, adding that limitations on the
amount of vehicles each company tests could function as "speed
breaks."
"I think we're going to see very meaningful developments here in
the 2020s," Buttigieg said.
Congressional efforts to regulate self-driving cars have been
stalled for several years, but U.S. regulators last week
eliminated the need for manufacturers to equip fully autonomous
vehicles with driving controls like steering wheels and brake
pedals.
Tesla Inc has released pilot software for what it calls its
"Full Self-Driving" system to tens of thousands of Tesla owners
for use on public roads across the United States.
The system has faced scrutiny from U.S. regulators over deadly
crashes and traffic law violations.
Other automakers are more cautious amid the nebulous regulatory
terrain.
Mercedes-Benz AG Chief Technology Officer Markus Schaefer told
Reuters on Tuesday the carmaker "absolutely" wants a regulatory
framework to protect the company before it releases its
hands-free, semi-autonomous driving system in the United States
to compete with Tesla's Autopilot.
Buttigieg on Wednesday also said he wanted to improve the U.S.
public transit system and encourage Americans to buy electric
vehicles through government tax incentives to reduce emissions.
National U.S. transit use remains some 40% below pre-pandemic
levels, according to data from mobility app Transit.
White House efforts to increase current $7,500 EV tax credits to
up to $12,500 for union-made U.S. vehicles remain stalled in
Congress.
(Reporting by Tina Bellon in Austin, Texas; additional reporting
by Joe White in Tuscaloosa, Alabama; editing by Richard Pullin)
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