New York has approved Audi’s application to be the first company authorized to perform autonomous vehicle testing in the state.
The automaker says it intends to demonstrate and test vehicles in New York with Society of Automobile Engineers (SAE) Level 3 automation. Audi will conduct the first autonomous vehicle demonstration in state history, beginning in Albany, near the state capitol, in mid-June.
SAE’s Level 3 means a vehicle is capable of automated driving at posted highway speeds when specific conditions are met. The demonstration vehicle has already safely logged thousands of miles on limited access highways across the U.S., says Audi.
Earlier this month, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that New York was accepting applications from companies interested in testing or demonstrating autonomous vehicles on public roads.
New legislation included in New York’s FY 2018 budget allows for testing autonomous technology through a year-long pilot program. Audi’s vehicle routing information for the Albany demonstration has been pre-approved by the New York State Police and its application was approved by the Department of Motor Vehicles. State Police review the route to be taken, and are required to supervise the demonstration.
[Image courtesy: Audi]