Aurora Innovation and Kodiak AI have received California DMV permits to test autonomous trucks on public highways. These are not pilot programs or simulations. Both companies are running commercial-grade self-driving freight vehicles on live roads.
The permits matter because California is one of the hardest regulatory environments in the country for autonomous vehicle approval. Clearing the DMV threshold signals that both companies have met specific safety and operational benchmarks, not just internal milestones. That distinction separates this news from the usual autonomous vehicle press release.
Read the full TechCrunch piece for the specific permit conditions, operational limitations, and what each company has to report if something goes wrong. The fine print on AV permits is where the real story lives.
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