Overview
In 2013, Michigan became the fourth US state to specifically regulate the testing of automated (self-driving) vehicles. Public Acts 231 and 251 of 2013 updated Michigan’s legal code to facilitate manufacturers, suppliers, and upfitters of automated vehicle technology to test prototype automated driving systems on public roads when registered with a special license plate (an ‘Mplate’). Michigan’s legal code was further revised with the adoption of Public Acts 332, 333, 334, and 335 (of 2016). The most impactful of these, PA 332 created a framework by which to deploy an “on-demand motor vehicle network.”
A principle goal of Michigan’s automated vehicle regulation was to stimulate the development of Michigan firms that develop automated vehicle technologies. The legislation was introduced by Sen. Mike Kowall, chair of the Senate Economic Development Committee, who stated that the legislation was introduced “to attract jobs stemming from this developing industry.”1 The legislation was crafted in consultation with the office of Governor Rick Snyder, who promoted the effort to brand Michigan as the “automotive capital of the world.”2 Additionally, the legislative process was supported and informed by OEMS, technology companies, and industry groups. Since the 2013 legislative effort, a wide variety of stakeholders have stepped up efforts to transition Michigan into a center of automated vehicle research and development.
This report documents and summarizes the progress of automated vehicle research and development activities in Michigan since the adoption of Public Acts 231 and 251 of 2013.