Autonomous

Waymo, the driverless car division owned by Google’s parent company, announced Jan. 22 that it will bring its test program to metro Atlanta.

While it likely will be several more years before autonomous vehicles are common on North State roads, Interstate 5 could be a step closer to accommodating the vehicles by this spring.

Infrastructure needs have emerged as a top priority for most state administrators who received the go-ahead to spend millions of dollars on repairs as well as new construction projects that range from expanding highways to fixing decrepit roads to installing Intelligent Transportation Systems.

An autonomous-driving technology firm plans this year to begin commercial-hauling operations in Arizona using Class 8 trucks that will require nearly no driver control of the vehicle.

It’s a measure of the current frenzy surrounding self-driving cars that a year-old startup can haul in more than $100 million in its first fundraising round.

Auto companies at the CES tech convention in Las Vegas affirmed plans to have their first true self-driving cars in production by 2021 — or in some cases earlier. But don’t expect to see these vehicles on any dealership lots.

PPG announced Jan. 16 it is partnering with the University of Michigan’s Mcity to test paint and other vehicle coatings specially designed for autonomous vehicles.

Self-driving cars could be coming to Arlington, Mass., soon, as the Board of Selectmen have agreed to allow Town Manager Adam Chapdelaine to take the first steps in bringing autonomous vehicle tests to town.

Highway safety advocates are urging lawmakers to pump the brakes on the development of driverless cars.

Aptiv left a piece of Pittsburgh in Las Vegas when it tore down its booth last week at the largest electronics show in Las Vegas.